July 14 — July 20, 2016
Distributed weekly in the Five Towns, Long Island, Queens & Brooklyn
Your Favorite Five Towns Family Newspaper
All Eyes on Cleveland Pages 9, 10, 11, 13 & 21
Around the
Community
34 Biking for a Good Cause at the Gesher Century Challenge
Republicans Gear up for an Unconventional Convention
pg
62
The Urban Pops Queen
36
Inspiration and Appreciation at Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns Annual Breakfast
5 Children, 70 Flavors, Icy Deliciousness Sophia Cohen Talks Pops
Back for a Third Year!
pg Page 15
TJH Speaks with Local Day Camps This Week We’re Talking to … Camp Toras Chaim pg 70 – See pages 3 & 25
SEASONS LAWRENCE
330 Central Avenue, Lawrence, NY 11559
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Instead of making a trip to the store
take a trip to
Visit
zaidy www.seasonskosher.com Easy online shopping and quick home delivery so you can spend more time with family
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
A PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE Dr. Nachum Augenbaum
C
hesed 24/7 is an organization that never sleeps. While largely unknown
to the masses, it has slowly become a humanitarian empire of kindness providing support to hospitalized patients and their families. Their Chesed Hospitality Rooms, located in the major Manhattan hospitals, are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, offering food and emotional support to anyone in the hospital who might need it. Chesed 24/7 is there to provide whatever a patient or their family may need – whether it’s a simple cup of coffee, a fresh hot meal, or a shoulder to lean on – at any time of the day or night.
The Chesed Hospitality Room was a true life saver, yet I thought it was run by another bikur cholim organization or by the hospital. I had no idea that it was Chesed 24/7 who was constantly cleaning and stocking the rooms, making sure there was always a large supply and variety of food, drinks and paper goods. After speaking to several friends who also had no idea who Chesed 24/7 was even though they too benefitted from the Chesed Rooms, I felt I had an obligation to create an awareness in our community about the many things Chesed 24/7 does.
It takes an army to make sure that each Chesed
Hospitality Room has enough food for the influx of patients and families – and
On July 26th, Dr. Nachum Augenbaum will be hosting an event in his new
they have 18 rooms in various hospitals that they are responsible for. Almost
home to benefit Chesed 24/7. We were fortunate to hear firsthand from
every major bikur cholim room is under their auspices, yet no one realizes this
Nachum about his experiences with Chesed 24/7 and the impact it has made
or realizes the amount of food and manpower that is dedicated to each room.
on his family.
My wife and I felt strongly that we wanted to host this event to let the
Question: What is your connection to Chesed 24/7? Answer: Unfortunately, I have been in the hospital many times with my elderly grandparents, as well as with many other close relatives. Whether it was during the week, or especially over Shabbos, the Chesed Room was
community know more about Chesed 24/7 and the amount of work and chesed that go into the Chesed Hospitality Rooms. Question: Is anyone else in the Five Towns strongly connected to Chesed 24/7? What can someone do to get involved?
invaluable. Not only did I have a place where I could get delicious kosher
Answer: Yes. Rabbi and Rebbetzin Ginzberg benefitted from Chesed 24/7 in
food, I had a place where I could sit and be with other Jews who were also
numerous ways during their daughter Sara Chaya’s A”H hospitalization.
going through stressful times. It was amazing that I had a place to go in an
Rebbetzin Ginzberg galvanized a team of women volunteers to help Chesed
otherwise sterile, cold hospital where I could feel the warmth and support of
24/7 each month, and they continue to do so each month. Every Rosh Chodesh,
the community. This is an unbelievable chesed that one can only truly
the nashim tzidkanios of the community and their children bring dry goods
appreciate after they have used it. (I hope everyone only uses it for good
items to someone’s home in their specific neighborhood. Chesed 24/7 then
tidings.) The Chesed Hospitality Room made the entire hospitalization more
picks up these items to help stock the hospitality rooms. This is a great
bearable. For us, it really was an oasis in the hospital.
opportunity for chesed – it’s simple to do, there are drop off locations all over,
Besides the Chesed Hospitality Room though, Chesed 24/7 went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. Whether it was giving us
and it can give your children hands on experience with the mitzvah of chesed and bikur cholim.
Shabbos in a Box so we had everything we needed for Shabbos in the
Seeing the incredible difference Chesed 24/7 made in the Ginzberg’s lives,
hospital, or helping my relative lay tefillin when I couldn’t be there, nothing
Shalom Vegh stepped up and became part of a “Circle of Friends” that
was too much for them. Their liaison was always there for us, asking what
sponsored and dedicated the Chesed Hospitality Room in Columbia
else we needed.
Presbyterian Babies Hospital. This Circle of Friends is comprised primarily of individuals from Brooklyn who have benefitted from Chesed 24/7 and want to
Question: Why are you and your wife opening up your new home to introduce Chesed 24/7 to the Five Towns community? Answer: I really want to create awareness in the Five Towns about what incredible things Chesed 24/7 does and I feel strongly that Chesed 24/7 deserves the recognition it is due. I have to say that I myself was guilty of not knowing who Chesed 24/7 was – even though I was using their services and their room daily.
give back. Shalom and I would both love to create a Far Rockaway/Five Towns Circle of Friends to support and help Chesed 24/7 as well. This support could be financial or through volunteering. I think the community will be surprised at how many opportunities for chesed there are. There is nothing more fulfilling and no greater chesed than helping someone in their time of need. I hope people only use the Chesed Hospitality Rooms after having a baby, but . even then, even in a time of simcha, the chesed is truly invaluable.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
P L E A S E J O I N U S AT
ALL CHESED. ALL THE TIME.
07•26•16 7:00 pm
At the home of:
Dr & Mrs. Nachum Augenbaum 64 Lord Avenue • Lawrence NY, 11559 *** FOR MEN ONLY ***
& BBQ BUFFET
KUMZITZ
This evening is dedicated in loving memory of
Rabbi Aryeh Zev Ginzberg Dr. Nachum Augenbaum Mr. Shalom Vegh
COMMITTEE
HOSTS
Sarah Chaya Ginzberg a”h לז“נ שרה חיה בת רב אריה זאב
Ariel Aber Chaim Abramson Yosi Eisenberger Pinky Friedman Gadi Fuchs Tzali Gutman
286 North Main Street Suite 210 · Spring Valley, NY 10977 · 845-354-3233 · Chesed247.org
Moti Hellman Mickey Hyman Dani Rosenthal Aaron Solomon Shmuel Stern David Vegh
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Dear Readers,
W
hen Dallas Police Sgt. Michael Smith left his home last Thursday, he hugged his nine-year-old daughter, Caroline, as he usually did. But, this time, as she recalled in an emotional interview with CBS News, he turned to her and said, “What if this is the last time you ever kiss me or hug me?” Sadly, his words were eerily prophetic. That is the story of the last week. Not whether it is proper to say “all lives matter” or whether only the “black lives matter” movement should reign. The real story is that good, innocent and hardworking people were killed in cold blood by a depraved hatefilled individual. When President Barack Obama was inaugurated in January 2009, many people thought that his reign would usher in the post-racial era. After all, America finally had a black president at its helm; we were becoming more progressive, it seemed. And, although I thought that we already lived in a progressive world – perhaps because we live in New York, which is a melting pot – I too thought that he would advance race relations even further. But I fear that his presidency may have had the opposite effect. It seems like class warfare has been a ubiquitous tool in his political toolbox. It seems like the current protests too have, in part, a political objective. As the NAACP President and CEO Cornell William Brooks said on “Face
the Nation” last Sunday, “We need to ensure that every demonstrator is a voter and that we show up en masse and in the millions at the polls in November.” Really? Is that what it is about? I thought it was about coming to a better understanding between police and those that feel aggrieved. The right to demonstrate is a fundamental right that should be celebrated. If only they would be result-oriented instead of filled with chaotic rage. I was inspired by what the Dallas police chief said when addressing protesters. “Get out of that protest line and put in an application,” he charged. “We’ll put you in your neighborhood and help you resolve some of those problems.” Let’s get something done; let’s effect change, he said. That is such a refreshing outlook. I wish some of the politicians saw things that way instead of just continuing to ride their talking-point horses. Sometimes you listen or watch the news and think that our country is coming apart at the seams. But I try to remind myself that we have been through this before. Our country has always experienced times of unrest, but it’s usually not as dire as we think it is in the moment. My hope is that politicians, instead of stoking the flames of animosity, choose to do the right thing for the nation and help people to come together. Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Shoshana
Yitzy Halpern PUBLISHER
publisher@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Yosef Feinerman MANAGING EDITOR
ads@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Shoshana Soroka EDITOR
editor@fivetownsjewishhome.com
Nate Davis Editorial Assistant Nechama Wein Copy Editor Rachel Bergida Berish Edelman Mati Jacobovits Design & Production Gabe Solomon Distribution & Logistics P.O. BOX 266 Lawrence, NY 11559 Phone | 516-734-0858 Fax | 516-734-0857 Classifieds: Deadline Mondays 5PM classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com text 443-929-4003 The Jewish Home is an independent weekly magazine. Opinions expressed by writers are not neces sarily the opinions of the publisher or editor. The Jewish Home is not responsible for typographical errors, or for the kashrus of any product or business advertised within. The Jewish Home contains words of Torah. Please treat accordingly.
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The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Contents LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
8
COMMUNITY Readers’ Poll
8
Community Happenings
33
OpEd: Hillary & Bernie Make It Clear: No Room for Pro-Israel Democrats 52 by Supervisor Anthony J. Santino This Week, We’re Talking to…Camp Toras Chaim
70
NEWS
72
Global
13
National
24
Odd-but-True Stories
30
All Eyes on Cleveland: Republicans Gear up for an Unconventional Convention by 62 Susan Schwamm ISRAEL
Israel News
20
My Israel Home: Bat Yam: A Gentrification Case Study
60
PEOPLE The Urban Pops Queen by Malky Lowinger
80
Tzvi Tzur, an IDF Hero by Avi Heiligman
96
PARSHA Rabbi Wein
56
JEWISH THOUGHT Get Found in the Minutiae by Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
57
No Worries by Eytan Kobre
58
PARENTING 10 Super Strategies to Strengthen Preschoolers’ Skills Through the Summer by Elana Fertig
72
HEALTH & FITNESS What’s It About? Part II by Deb Hirschhorn, PhD
74
Berry Month by Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN
76
Dear Editor, That was an interesting piece by Joe Bobker in The Jewish Home, July 7, 2016, but for one very serious omission, that being the deep longtime personal and spiritual relationship between Wiesel and Rav Menashe Klein, zt”l, dating back to their days in Auschwitz and Buchenwald which continued for all their days which included frequent learning visits to the Ungvarer shul in Borough Park, and in later years, the rebbe’s shikun in Jerusalem. Further, most of Joe Bobker’s piece dealt with some very interesting observations of numerous personalities, rabbinic and otherwise. However, the article’s title gives the impression that this essay would deal primarily with Wiesel, which it does not in any way. That could leave the reader with a wrong impression as to the real content of Mr. Bobker’s piece. Hopefully, a fuller and more extensive treatment in the future will reflect the correctives noted above. Kol tuv, Alan Jay Gerber Book Reviewer The Jewish Star Joe Bobker Responds: I’m sorry you misread the title. It was clearly identified as “a challenge to faith” which included Elie Wiesel but was not only about Elie
Wiesel. He was only one of thousands who grappled with the issue of faith after the flames. I am aware of his close relationship with the Ungvar Rav, the Vizhnitzer Rebbe, and others, but they are only relevant to the extent it reinforces my observation of his tormented life trying to juggle a nostalgic link to his early chassidishe upbringing in Sighet while choosing to practice a totally secular lifestyle. This theological incongruity is similar to Wiesel’s Zionist paradox. On the one hand he was highly supportive of Israel – yet, as a highly visible and influential leader of a post-Holocaust world, he inexplicably refused to become an Israeli citizen. However there’s no doubt about it. Regardless of his level of religiosity Elie Wiesel was a major kiddush Hashem for the Yiddishe folk. In 1981, during an interview with The New York Times, Wiesel was blunt about why he was granted more life from the G-d he claimed (not convincingly) he no longer believed in. “If I survived, it must be for some reason. I must do something with my life. It is too serious to play games with anymore, because in my place, someone else could have been saved. And so I speak for that person. I have tried to keep memory alive. I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because Continued on page 12
FOOD & LEISURE The Aussie Gourmet: Dry Rubbed London Broil
78
At Courtside Grill Everyone Sits Courtside
82
LIFESTYLES Dating Dialogue, Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW
66
From My Private Art Collection
108
Your Money
109
What’s with Vacation Homes? by Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS 110 HUMOR Centerfold
54
Rocky’s Rant: The No Boo Boo Generation
98
Uncle Moishy Fun Page
100
POLITICAL CROSSFIRE Notable Quotes
84
A Cuban Doctor who Moves History by Michael Gerson
92
Comey: A Theory by Charles Krauthammer
94
CLASSIFIEDS
102
What do you prefer on a hot summer day: ices or ice cream?
42 58 %
Ices
%
Ice Cream
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Sale Dates: July 17th - 22nd 2016
Weekly Quaker Life Cereal Original or Cinnamon - 11 oz
1
$ 99 ......................................................
16 oz
Extra Virgin, Extra Light, Classico - 51 oz
99¢
$
.................................................
.................................................
1399
100 Count
439
Cocoa or Fruity Only - 11 oz
$
2
99
......................................................
Canola, Corn, Vegetable - 48 oz
3
......................................................
In Water or Oil - 5 oz
4
All Flavors - 4.5 oz
12 oz
Except Fat-Free & Whole Wheat 12 Pack - 2.3 oz
23 oz
12 oz
Gefen Cup-a-Soup
899
$ 49
$
.................................................
by the case only .................................................
6 oz
.......................................
Sabra Hummus All Flavors - 10 oz
5
2/$
Assorted - 6 oz
1
69
Absolute Fruit Sorbet Eggo Pancakes Assorted - 16 oz
Assorted - 14 oz
$
2/$
2
99 . . .2 ......................................................
5
99
Fresh & Frozen Gefilte Fish 20 oz
.......................................
Dagim Flounder Fillets
4
$
99
.........................................................
16 oz
Pardes Broccoli Florets
4
$
Good Humor Ice Cream All Varieties 4 - 12 Count
3
$
24 oz
.......................................
99
299
New Items This Week! Regular, Whole Wheat, Rolls
NOW 2 locations!
Cedarhurst STORE HOURS
137 Spruce Street
in the frozen aisle
Mocktails
4 Ready-to-Drink Flavors
(516) 569-2662
SUN -TUE: 7 AM-9 PM WED: 7 AM-11 PM THURS: 7 AM-12 AM FRIDAY 6:30 AM-2 HRS. BEFORE CANDLE LIGHTING
Imani Chop Chop Chocolate Covered Pretzels 10 oz
499
Farms Creamery Whipped Cream Cheese
Lactaid Milk Assorted 64 oz
349
8 oz Cups
$
1
$ 79 .......................................
.......................................
Breakstone Sour Cream
Axelrod Cottage Cheese
Assorted 16 oz
16 oz
1
$ 99
3
2/$
Birds Eye Sweet Corn 12 Pack
2
$
99
Kineret Onion Rings 20 oz
299
$
.......................................
.......................................
All Flavors - 6 Cups
30 oz
Luigi’s Italian Ices
1
Yoni’s Cheese Ravioli
699
$ 99
$
$
99
Miracle Challah
3
.................................................
$
....................................... Ha’olam Sliced Cheddar, Muenster, Mozzarella, Sandwich-Style Except Reduced Fat - 6 oz
2/$
$
5
5
2
10 oz
.................................................
Oneg Shredded Cheese 8 oz
French’s Spicy Brown Mustard 3/$
Entenmann’s Little Bites Paskesz Marshmallows or Chocolate Chip Cookies Except Jumbo - 8 oz 8.25 oz/9 oz/12 oz 2/$ 2/$
$
Macabee 3 Pack Pizza
bonus size! 20% more!
5
3/$
399
$
B’nei Darom 7-9 Pickles
2/$
99
8 oz
$
5
2
Yo Crunch Yogurt
Gourmet Glatt Le Chocolate Viennese Crunch
.................................................
$
. . . . . . . . 10 ..............................................
279
.................................................
.................................................
......................................................
10/$
Mauzone Mania Fiber Biscotti
.................................................
Assorted 59 oz
Mehadrin Chocolate Leben
299
$
.................................................
Tropicana Orange Juice
3
5
Bloom’s Ice Cream Cups or Cones
5/$
4/$
2/$
48 Count
299
15 oz
299
All Flavors - 64 oz
.................................................
Original or Whole Wheat - 2.64 oz
Pure Bites Pop Cakes
$
$
Turkey Hill Iced Tea
.................................................
14 oz
Assorted - 7.5 oz - 15 oz
12
299
$
.................................................
Roland Whole Baby Corn
Weber Grilling Spray 6 oz
.................................................
Nabisco Ritz Crackers
...................................................... Canada Dry, 7-Up, Sunkist, A&W 12 Pack - 12 oz Cans
299
$
.................................................
6
1
3/$
18 oz
$
Lieber’s Alef Beis or ABC Cookies
Chicken of the Sea Solid White Tuna
Weber BBQ Sauce
2/$
399
49
Quaker Chewy Granola Bars 6.7 oz - 8.4 oz
Osem Chicken Consomme
Wesson Oil $
Bertolli Olive Oil
Pop Ice - Ice Pops
Post Pebbles Cereal $
Imperial Delights Salad Dressing
Woodmere STORE HOURS
non-alcoholic great for summer parties! 1030 Railroad Avenue
(516) 295-6901
SUN - THURS: 7 AM-9 PM FRIDAY 7 AM UNTIL 2 HRS. BEFORE CANDLE LIGHTING
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Sale Dates: July 17th - 22nd 2016
Specials
BONELESS FILLET STEAK
949 lb.
$
Family Pack
Turkey Sandwich Boneless new item! $ 99 Cholent $949 lb. Steaks $899 lb. London 6 lb. Broil Meat ................... ................... ................... Untrimmed Corned Neck & Skirt Chicken $379 lb. $ 49 Ground $479 lb. Beef 9 lb. Cutlets Deckel lBeef ...................
Super Family Pack
...................
CHICKEN LEGS
2
$
59
Square Cut Roast
ea.
Neck & Skirt
9
$
49
Beef Patties
Super Family Pack
...................
ready to bake! 599 lb. Lemon
lb. 12 Pack
Seasoned Chicken $399 lb. $ 99 Large Chicken $ 39 Breast or 8 lb. 1 lb. Kolichel Thigh Bones
Super Family Pack
All Varieties - 10.8 oz - 13.1 oz
2
$ 99 ......................................................
Hecker’s Flour 5 lb
$
...................
...................
Special K Cereals
2
$ 79 ......................................................
Poland Spring Water 24 Pack - 16.9 oz
499
$ Ripe Nectarines
Red & Green Grapes
199 lb.
249 lb.
$
..........................
99¢ lb.
Bosc Pears
..........................
99¢ lb.
Gala Apples
Persian Cucumber 2/$4
Spaghetti Squash
Package ..........................
Green & Red Leaf Lettuce
99¢ ea.
69¢ lb.
10
Mini Peeled Carrots
89¢ ea.
..........................
Yukon $ 49 Potatoes 3 ea.
Snow 2/$4 White Cauliflower
Plum 79¢ lb. Red Onions Tomatoes
79¢ lb.
99 lb.
$
Egg Barley with Mushrooms
$
Broccoli Slaw
$
Quart
Aliza Beer Nutritional Meals
449lb.
24 VARIETIES! SPECIAL OF THE WEEK:
5
Regular or Diet
99 lb.
8
monday only!
Black & White Parve Chocolate & Ring Cake
99¢ ea.
799ea.
$
order your shabbos platters early!
450
............................
Tuna Salad Roll
Package of 4
Small White Bread
1
1
$ 49 ea.
$ 49 ea.
Volcano Roll
495
$
Sweet Potato Roll $
Seared Dragon Roll $ 95
12
50
now available! full line of gluten-free products! Pre-Packaged
Honey Mustard Onion Dip Pre-Packaged
Pre-Packaged
Salt & Pepper Kugel
Pre-Packaged
Diet Vegetable Kugel
9 Pave of Roses $1299 - $1699 5 Rose Bouquet
Different Varieties & Colors!
$
99
order@gourmetglatt.com
Fancy Rose Bouquets
Pretty Fillers & Greenery!
Roses in a Vase
19 & Up $ 3499& Up
$
99
/gourmetglatt
Quinoa Soup
1095
$
............................
5
Spinach Pasta
595
$
............................
............................
Mushroom Dip
Assorted Kaiser Rolls
Alaska Roll
$
999
Salmon Steaks $ 99 lb.
6
699
$
$
Grilled Salmon with 2 Side Dishes
Breaded Tilapia $ 99 lb.
Cinnamon Danish
799 $ 99 4 $
Diet Vegetable Soup
799ea.
Chicken Pot Pies
Original Only - 36 oz
Mango Roll
Salad Nicoise
11
$
Amnon’s Pizza
Cello 2/$3 Mushrooms
Deli & Takeout
Grilled Chicken Mesquite
......................................................
..........................
Medium
/
Mehadrin Greek Yogurt
10/$
1 lb Bag ..........................
5 lb Bag ..........................
Head ..........................
...................................................... All Flavors - 5.3 oz
89¢ lb.
$
99¢ lb. Holland Red Peppers
New Jersey Kirbies
Pre-Packaged
Pre-Packaged
Creamed Spinach
At the Counter
299ea. $ 99 2 ea. $ 49 5 ea. $ 99 3 ea. $ 49 4 ea. $ 49 5 ea. $ 49 7 lb. $
We reserve the right to limit quantities. No rain checks. Not responsible for typographical errors.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Continued from 8
if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices.” Wiesel spoke for those who could not; those who felt guilt in surviving while others were deprived the right to go on living, those who felt a duty to speak up for the dead but had no words adequate for the holy task, and for those who were angry at G-d but had no way to express their feelings. He called his a “wounded faith.” And yet this “wounded faith” never strayed far from Sinai. ”Torah study saved my life after the war,” he writes. “The moment I arrived at an orphanage in France, the first thing I asked for was a masechet, a Talmudic tractate I had brought with me when I entered the camps. I would not be who I am today without the influence of Rava and Abaye, Rabbi Akiva, Rebbe Yishmael and actually, the Baal Shemtov. I have never given up learning... I learn Torah every day because that is who I am. So I am a Hasid in the best sense of the word, despite the fact that I don’t look like it. Perhaps if there had been no war, I would be wearing a shtreimel today - and I say this with nostalgia. ‘If it hadn’t been for the war, I would have become a teacher of the Talmud. Without the war, I would never have questioned any of my beliefs.” As I said: a tormented soul to the very end, yet no different than thousands of survivors who were raised in Orthodox homes. But better than anybody else this survivor from Sighet understood the terrible harm that silence can inflict on the Jewish nation. Blessed with the power of speech and pen he single-handedly forced a gentile world “to remember” as he gave voice to the millions of Jews who were silented forever. As an effective icon of Judaic conscience he transcended the Holocaust. Dear Editor, The recent killings of black men at the hands of police is sad. But I find it perplexing that the black community feels that others need to be killed to avenge their deaths. Five police officers for two men killed? Is that their math? It comes to mind our Arab neighbors who hunt Israelis and maim and kill if one of their own dies. Please wake up. This not how nations and people should be acting in the 21st century. Voice your frustrations, bring people to court, but do not generate more carnage in a dead one’s wake. That only perpetuates the cycle. Sincerely, Chaim Toledano
Dear Editor, We are regular readers of your weekly paper. I question, as to why this past week the paper had no mention, at all, of the yahrtzeit of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The yahrtzeit actually came out on this past Shabbos. The Rebbe was a tremendous gadol who impacted so many people and in so many ways. The Rebbe truly left a legacy of great accomplishments. An article, of this Great Person, would have been great to read. I was surprised, since in general you publish on so many subjects and from an array of sources. I need not go into a lengthy letter, just interested as to the reason of this omission. Thanking you for your valuable time. Binyamin C. Dear Editor, I, and a large majority of citizens I know, are convinced that the election process is rigged by individuals and corrupt people in the highest places of government, starting with the White House. Equally guilty in corrupting the election process are the FBI and the Obama-selected Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, who declared that she will abide by the findings of the FBI without any questions, while Teflon Hillary was investigated for her sloppy way of conducting classified matters by communicating via an unsecure e-mail server, thus exposing vital classified data to hackers and enabling them to be used against our interests, and possibility endangering the lives of our operatives abroad and within the U.S. The Commander-in-Chief lost no time in declaring that the inept former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton did nothing wrong, while she so carelessly exposed to hacking highly sensitive information. Did this news come from the FBI or did he get it from newspapers? I suspect that the White House directed this scenario. If this didn’t suffice, the Obama-selected Attorney General, Loretta Lynch, met Bill Clinton, the husband of Hillary, the contender for the highest office of the land (I shudder just to think how a calculated liar of her caliber may be our Commander-in-Chief). Attorney General Lynch claims the meeting to be accidental, and that the conversation centered about the Clintons’ grandchildren. Anyone who believes that would also believe that the moon is made of cheese. I see it as an attempted bribe. Can anyone imagine the husband of someone before a judge
on felony charges meeting up with the prosecutor on a tarmac to small-talk about the accused’s grandchildren? In my opinion, it was nothing less than an attempted bribery. At this point I will not accuse Ms. Lynch of not telling the truth, but this doesn’t apply to the former president, who is a confirmed liar, and the same applies to his wife, Hillary. One liar in the Oval Office is a disaster; two liars in the Oval Office is a catastrophe. The encouraging thought is that there is still hope that Hillary and Bill Clinton will go away like a bad dream. At the conclusion of my letter, I wish them both well as private citizens of our great nation, as it is time for them to retire and enjoy their children and grandchildren, which is more rewarding than dirty politics. Sincerely, Joseph Ceder Far Rockaway, NY Dear Editor, I appreciated your articles on Brexit, particularly the one written by Charles Krauthammer. It a topic mentioned often in the news but most Americans are not fully aware of what Brexit is and what it means. All the best, Liz Hoch Dear Editor, I think we all took Elie Wiesel for granted. In our minds, subconsciously, we thought he would live forever. We thought we would always have an advocate and a voice for those who perished in the Holocaust and for the pain that millions endured. But now that he is gone, I wonder: who will pick up the mantle? And then I realized that it truly is not a job for one person. It is incumbent on every one of us who is a descendant of a survivor to speak for them and to remind the world that evil truly does exist. Do not be cowed by those who belittle their experiences; do not be shunned by those who wish to silence you and spew their hatred upon the Jewish People and their Land. We have to proud of who we are, what we went through, and how we – and always will – survived. Sincerely, Serach Heineman Dear Editor, I was very disheartened that you printed a letter last week about how Trump used the magen dovid in an anti-Semitic way. We are so quick to throw around the term anti-Semitism, which results in it being an
empty phrase. I guess the writer doesn’t like Trump because his closest advisor, Jared Kushner, comes from a family that has deep ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organization which has been trying to destroy Israel for the past 60 years. Oh, I’m sorry, I got confused with Huma Abedin, Hillary’s closest aide. Or, maybe he doesn’t like Trump because when Elie Wiesel died two weeks ago one of his aides tweeted that “Elie Wiesel did more harm than good.” Oh, I’m sorry, I got confused with Max Blumenthal, Hillary’s closest aide’s son. Or, maybe he doesn’t like Trump because he has been endorsed by Newt Gingrich who runs around making up lies about how Israel killed tens of thousands of people in Gaza. Oh, I’m sorry, I got confused with Bernie Sanders (another lovely self-hating Jew). But, of course, Trump, who has never shown one trace of anything other than affinity for Jews for the past 70 years, decided to wake up one morning and declare his anti-Semitism by posting a little star of David on a campaign poster. Please, save your breath! Sincerely, A self-hating Jew, I guess, because I support the noted “anti-Semitic” Donald J. Trump. Dov K.
Views expressed on the Letters to the Editor page do not necessarily reflect the views of The Jewish Home.
Please send all correspondence to: editor @fivetowns jewishhome.com.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
The Week In News
Theresa May to Lead Britain
enced ministers in Cameron’s Cabinet, serving in the notoriously difficult job of home secretary, akin to the interior minister’s post in other countries, for six years. Like Cameron, she comes from the pro-EU wing of the party, but leading anti-EU Conservatives quickly rallied around her on Monday. Gove, the justice secretary, said “she has my full support as our next prime minister,” while former London mayor Johnson said May would “provide the authority and the leadership necessary to unite the Conservative Party and take the country forward.”
Sailing the South China Seas
“Honored and humbled.” That’s what Theresa May said on Monday when she was chosen to become Britain’s next prime minister after David Cameron vacates his post this week. The 59-year-old declared, “Together we will build a better Britain.” She will be only the second woman to hold the powerful position, after Margaret Thatcher. May served as Britain’s home secretary for six years and fell into the position when her lead rival, Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom, withdrew her bid for the position earlier on Monday. Leadsom dropped out of the race over comments that angered voters when she said that being a mother gave her an advantage over May, who has no children. Her withdrawal stunned the nation. Other contenders dropped out of the race earlier, including “Leave” campaign leaders Boris Johnson and Michael Gove, amid allegations of treachery and scheming. With just May left for the position, the party members who were due to choose between the contenders in the upcoming weeks were left with no job to do. That result would have been announced in September. The changing of the guard, so to speak, was changed to occur this week. Brexit, of course, is on everyone’s minds and May pledged to lead Britain through the change. “Brexit means Brexit and we are going to make a success of it,” she assured. May is one of the most experi-
It’s like playing ball with someone who doesn’t want to follow the rules – and then refuses to leave the field when instructed to do so by the referee. On Tuesday, an international court handed down a verdict against China in a Philippine challenge over China’s activities in the South China Sea. According to China, most of the sea is theirs, basing their claim on a “nine-dash-line” on a 1940s Chinese map. But the Philippines and other countries – including Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, and Taiwan – dispute this claim over the 3 million square kilometers that are at stake. Even the United States has an opinion about these waters and says they’re international, at times sending warships there on “Freedom of Navigation” missions. There’s not much in the waters, just a handful of small islands, but some say that there may be oil and gas there. Others point out that fish are an abundant resource as well. It’s also a strategic point for world trade. China has been building up those islands that were once inhabitable – including large runways which can handle huge planes. Beijing says its
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intention is peaceful. Other countries, including the U.S., are skeptical. On Tuesday, a five-member UNbacked tribunal of maritime affairs experts in The Hague ruled that China has no historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the so-called “nine-dash-line.” The tribunal further found that artificial islands that China has been furiously building over recent years do not have the 200 nautical mile “exclusive economic zone” (EEZ) enjoyed by inhabited land, effectively further shrinking areas of sea that China claims. According to them, China has behaved unlawfully and has damaged the environment. Its decision cannot be appealed, although the tribunal and the PCA have no means to enforce the verdict. Beijing, though, has said from the start that the tribunal is invalid and has boycotted its proceedings. What will happen in the future? It’s hard to say. China will either ignore the ruling altogether, which means the other countries will have to step up to defend their position, or it can begin negotiations, or display a show of force. Time will tell, although it most probably will not be a peaceful – or easy – process.
Justice in Chile
Sometimes, it takes justice years – even decades – before being served. Juan Emilio Cheyre, the retired commander in chief of the Chilean army, was only arrested last week for the killing of fifteen left wing opponents in the 1973 rise of dictator General Augusto Pinochet, who was in power until 1990. Cheyre is being accused of taking part in the infamous “Caravan of Death” operation, in which Pinochet sent military units to the remotest parts of the country to hunt down and kill his opponents. He ordered his troops to “show no mercy” and warned them about being “soft” on the “extremists.” Cheyre’s supporters claim that the army man was merely following orders which, if he were not to,
would mean instant death. But victims’ families are seeking justice for a crime that has stained Chile for many years. “All I want is for justice to be made and the facts to be clarified. I am not interested in vengeance,” said Ernesto Lejderman, who was three when his parents were killed.
Big Mother Russia is Watching
Russian president Vladimir Putin, himself a former KGB officer, is looking to bring back the KGB to modern day Russia. As part of a campaign to raise the country’s antiterrorism abilities, the Kremlin head has signed legislation into law which
would require all telephone and internet service providers to save and store all of their users’ personal communications, to be available for government inquiry at a moment’s notice. And if one is thinking of bypassing the new laws by the use of encrypted communication, the legislation also makes sending encrypted messages a crime. Just last week, the UN passed a resolution which openly opposes such measures taken by Russia. In it, the Human Rights Council said it “condemns unequivocally measures to intentionally prevent or disrupt access to or dissemination of information online in violation of international human rights law.” Edward Snowden, of Wikileaks infamy, tweeted that Mr. Putin authorizes “a repressive new law that violates not only human rights, but common sense,” and “must be condemned.” Snowden has been living in Russia for the past three years. The new law is also expected to deal a huge blow to Russia’s telecom industry in an amount analysts believe to be around $33 billion. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Putin acknowledged the inherent financial risks involved with the
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1889; but the fate of the three-story building coated in pale yellow paint has long been the subject of controversy. After the building landlord refused to sell it to the state, the government moved to take ownership of the building.
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“The decision is necessary because the Republic would like to prevent this house from becoming a ‘cult site’ for neo-Nazis in any way, which it has been repeatedly in the past, when people gathered there to shout slogans,” Interior Minister Wolfgang Sobotka told reporters before the cabinet meeting. “It is my vision to tear down the house,” he added. A commission consisting of 12 members from the fields of politics, administration, academia and civic society will ultimately decide the fate of the building. Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938. Debate still smolders over whether Austrians were willing accomplices – many having cheered his return to his country of birth at the time – or the first victims of a dictatorship that ultimately reduced much of Europe to ruins and cost tens of millions of lives.
Iran Desperately Trying to Obtain Nuclear Material
443-939-1195
law and that “the government will keep a close eye on how this law is implemented, and if some unpleasant consequences are discovered, the president will ask [the government] to take steps,” he said. Perhaps Hillary Clinton should replace her Russian email account.
Government Seizes Hitler’s Birth Home We know that he was a sadistic, twisted maniac but there are fanatic madmen out there who worship the
Nazi leader. On Tuesday, the Austrian government moved to seize the house where Adolf Hitler ym”sh was born to prevent it from turning into a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis. The Interior Minister said he wanted to tear it down. Hitler’s family lived in the house in Braunau on the Inn for only three years around his birth on April 20,
Surprise, surprise. German intelligence has confirmed that in the past year Iran has continued to seek material for a nuclear bomb, despite the agreement it signed with world powers, including the U.S. and Germany. The annual report by the Fed-
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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Deal of a Lifetime Pink Slip!
Part 1
“And so, we are forced to let you go,” said my boss of nearly 8 years. My heart sank. Visions of my family in 6 months’ time fli ed through my mind. Hungry eyes. Torn shoes. A cold dark apartment. Will that be our fate? My boss was apologetic. Very much so. But as he explained, the company wasn’t doing well and he could no longer afford to pay me. I now had seven li le mouths to feed, and no income. The unknown scared me. My wife, on the other hand, saw no reason to worry. “We will inform our trusty partners at Kollel Chatzos of our predicament and have them daven on our behalf. I’m sure that in the zechus of Torah and Tefillah at Chatzos, Hashem will send you an even be er job.” What happened to the 7 young children? Did they have to endure the hunger and shame their father envisioned?
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eral Office for the Protection of the Constitution, the German equivalent to the FBI, charges that in the past year alone, Iran has made at least nine efforts to seek “goods that can be used in the field of nuclear technology” from German companies “at what is, even by international standards, a quantitatively high level.” “It is safe to expect that Iran will continue its intensive procurement activities in Germany using clandestine methods to achieve its objectives,” the report read. German chancellor Angela Merkel briefed the German parliament on the findings, pointing out, “Iran continued unabated to develop its rocket program in conflict with the relevant provisions of the UN Security Council.” Israel’s Ambassador to Germany Yakov Hadas-Handelsman commented on the report, “Once again we are seeing the confirmation of our concerns that are shared also by the German side: It’s not enough to simply trust Tehran.” Iran recently tested a new series of ballistic missiles in March, and the U.S. imposed new sanctions on the country after a series of tests in October.
In 12 Hours, 35K Head to Colombia for Food
On Sunday, Venezuelans received some relief but it was truly short-lived. The government agreed to open border crossings to Colombia for just a mere 12 hours. In that short amount of time, more than 35,000 desperate Venezuelans crossed the border to procure food and medicines in the city of Cucuta. The border crossings between Tachira state and Norte de Santander province have not open since August 19, 2015 when Venezuelan Pres-
ident Nicolas Maduro closed them to fight smuggling and prevent members of paramilitary groups from entering Venezuela. He later ordered all crossings along the 1,378-mile border closed. Venezuela imports around 70% of its food. The economy is dependent on oil exports, and the drop in prices prompted the government to restrict dollars that leave the country to pay for imported goods. The government wants to save its dwindling dollar reserves to service its foreign debts and avoid a default, but that means fewer goods from importers who want to be paid in dollars. The lack of food and provisions for citizens is getting desperate. Those who were able to cross the border on Sunday expressed gratitude to Colombia for helping them buy the much-needed staples for their families, including rice, cornmeal and pasta.
Russia: You’re Not Wanted Here
It’s tit for tat. After the U.S. announced the expulsion of two Russian diplomats from the United States, Russia responded in kind by throwing two of America’s own from Moscow. Russia has labeled the two unnamed Americans “persona non grata for activities incompatible with their diplomatic status,” according to a report posted on the Russian Federation foreign ministry website. The expulsions come in response to an altercation which occurred outside the U.S. embassy last month between a U.S. diplomat and a Russian security guard. The U.S. claims the guard initiated the attack; Russia insists the diplomat really works for the CIA. “We hope that they in Washington will realize all the viciousness of the aggressive anti-Russia line. If they decide there to move on the path of escalation, they won’t be left without a response,” the Russian foreign ministry said.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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No Assassination Attempt, PM Insists
While Arab news reports gleefully announced that Prime Minister Netanyahu was forced to change his travel plans while traveling though Kenya last week in response to an assassination threat, the Prime Minister categorically denied such an assertion and said that any extra security involving his entourage was standard because of the extra security risks Israel faces abroad. Earlier, a Kuwaiti newspaper claimed Netanyahu’s caravan was forced to change course after departing a Nairobi airport because an explosive device was found along the planned route. Netanyahu was on a four-leg trip through Africa to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the daring raid at Entebbe and to help solidify relations with African governments, whose support in the UN Israel is seeking.
Wilson, a British national and tour guide, was hiking with her friend, Kristine Luken, just outside of Jerusalem in December 2010 when Kifah Ghneimat attacked the two with a machete, killing Luken and leaving Wilson for dead. She walked gagged and barefoot for about a mile until she found help. After being caught, the Palestinian thug confessed that his sole motivation was to kill Jews. Wilson is Christian. This past week, Ghneimat’s pious mother took to Palestinian TV to cry softly about yearning for her imprisoned son during Ramadan. She spoke about the killer’s favorite dishes of “meat with tahini” and “chicken with rice,” and how he was such a “calm and nice” individual. “I think I’m numb…I’m stunned, absolutely stunned…It’s so rage invoking,” Wilson said about the clip. “As far as [the mother] is speaking, her son did nothing wrong… I think she is so far gone into her own delusion and deception.”
“When children see all this honor being bestowed on terrorists, they want to be honored too,” Itamar Marcus, director of Palestinian Media Watch, said. “The worst incitement to terror is the glorification.”
Pro-Palestinians: IDF Behind Black “Genocide”
Murderer Lauded by Mother To Kay Wilson, if being stabbed thirteen times and left for dead by a Palestinian terrorist is not hard enough, watching the murderer’s mother cry on Palestinian television about her son not being home for Ramadan as he sits for his crime is sickening.
As if the pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S. has not proven its
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
absurdity enough, the NYU chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) posted the ridiculous assertion on Facebook that, aside from being behind the “genocide” of Palestinians (who have grown tenfold in the State of Israel), the IDF is behind the current “genocide” of black people at the hands of U.S. police forces. Huh? Well, some police officers from the U.S. spend a few days training in Israel, as they do in many other countries as well. So according to their logic, the IDF is responsible for the actions of American police officers. That makes total sense. After all, these are NYU students we are talking about. Last year, pro-Palestinian groups hijacked the protests in Ferguson, MO, with banners saying, “From Palestine to Ferguson,” and the CUNY chapter of SJP recently blamed “Zionists” for high tuition. Seems like some people are just too self-centered.
Victims Seeking $1B from FB
The families of five Americans murdered or injured in recent Palestinian terror attacks in Israel have filed a lawsuit against Facebook for failing to ban the Gaza-based terror group Hamas from using its social media platform. The suit was brought to the New York State District Court under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which allows American citizens who are victims of terror attacks overseas to sue in U.S. federal court. The plaintiffs, family members of victims in five separate terrorist attacks between June 2014 and March 2016, are seeking $1 billion in punitive damages from the social media giant, which has recently come under attack from Israeli officials for hosting what they say is Palestinian incitement toward violence. “Facebook has knowingly provided material support and resources to Hamas in the form of Facebook’s online social media network platform
and communication services,” a press release issued by the plaintiffs said. “Hamas has used and relied on Facebook’s online social network platform and communications services as among its most important tools to facilitate and carry out its terrorist activity.” The lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Stuart and Robbi Force, the parents of 29-year-old U.S. Army veteran and Vanderbilt University graduate student Taylor Force, who was fatally stabbed by a Hamas terrorist while visiting Israel on a school-sponsored trip in March. Joining the Forces as plaintiffs are the parents of 16-year-old Naftali Fraenkel, who was kidnapped and murdered in the West Bank in June 2014; the parents of 3-month-old Chaya Zissel Braun who was killed in an October 2014 car-ramming attack in Jerusalem; the son of 76-year-old Richard Lakin who was killed in an October 2015 shooting and stabbing attack; and Menachem Mendel Rivkin, who was seriously wounded in a January 2016 stabbing attack in Jerusalem. All of the victims were U.S. citizens. The plaintiffs sought an injunction against Facebook requiring the social network to remove any content that promotes violence against Israelis, and to actively to monitor its website for inciting content. The suit alleged that Facebook has a “legal and moral obligation” to block much of this content but that it chooses not to. Facebook has consistently been a forum for incitement and violence for terrorists. In the recent wave of attacks starting October 2015, in which some 40 victims have been killed, many of the Palestinian terrorists were found to have posted praise for previous attackers on their social media accounts. The “lone wolf” assailants, unaffiliated with established terror groups, mourned relatives killed while attacking Israelis, and peppered their feeds with posts hailing or yearning for “martyrdom.” The Times of Israel reported last year that some 3.7 million Palestinians follow the Quds News Network, believed to be affiliated with Islamic Jihad, on Facebook, and 4.2 million follow the Shehab News Network, which is believed to be affiliated with Hamas. The pages at times feature gruesome images of dead Palestinians and caricatures encouraging more attacks, often accompanied by a hashtag ordering “Stab!” or warning
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tion lawmakers — places the onus on Facebook to actively track posts and delete them, something the company says it does not do, relying instead on users who “flag” problematic posts.
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“Al-Aqsa is in danger!” Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan recently claimed Facebook was a “monster” that enables terrorism, and charged that its founder Mark Zuckerberg had the blood of 13-yearold Hallel Ariel, killed in a stabbing attack in late June, on his hands. Erdan and Justice Minister Ayelet
Shaked are currently advancing a bill allowing the government to seek a court order to force the social media group to remove certain content based on police recommendations. The proposal was announced immediately after Shaked and Erdan met with Facebook officials in the Knesset in June, and will be formally
submitted in the coming weeks. Separately, Zionist Union MK Revital Swid has submitted a bill that would levy an NIS 300,000 ($77,000) fine against Facebook for every post that includes incitement which the social media giant does not immediately scrub. Swid’s bill — signed by both coalition and opposi-
October 13, 2015. It was a morning like all others – children heading to school, parents heading to work. But then terror reigned as Bilal Abu Ghanem and Bahaa Alyan boarded Egged bus 78 in Jerusalem’s Armon Hanatziv neighborhood. The terrorists began shooting and stabbing passengers. Two people, Haviv Haim, 78, and Alon Govberg, 51, were killed. Over a dozen were injured. One of the injured, Richard Lakin, 76, died two weeks later. The murderers said they were motivated to carry out the attack in retaliation for Israeli “intrusions in Al-Aqsa” on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, and the “settlers who murder small children.” Police who arrived at the scene shot and killed Alyan. Abu Ghanem was shot and injured, and police took him into custody. This week, on Monday, Abu Ghanem was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences and an additional 60 years in prison for the attack. He was convicted last month of three counts of murder, seven counts of attempted murder, and aiding the enemy in wartime. As part of his sentence, the court demanded that Abu Ghanem, a Jabel Mukaber resident and Hamas supporter, compensate the people he wounded and the families of the deceased. According to the judge’s decision, the families of the three fatalities will each receive NIS 250,000 ($64,000), while the wounded will receive NIS 150,000 ($38,000) apiece and the bus driver will get NIS 100,000 ($26,000). The conviction came after the court in March rejected a plea bar-
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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gain struck between the prosecution and the defense. As part of the nixed plea bargain, which would have seen seven counts of attempted murder dropped from his charge sheet, Abu Ghanem was to state his confession to the court. Then the judge was expected to convict him on three counts of murder. But the terrorist refused to make his confession to the court and the plea bargain was rescinded. In January, Alyan’s and Abu Ghanem’s family homes in Jabel Mukaber were demolished by Israeli security forces.
State Department Funds Used to Try to Unseat Netanyahu According to a bipartisan Senate investigative report released on Tuesday, a portion of a State Department grant was used to try to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2015. The $349,000 grant to an organization called OneVoice was intended to be used to advocate for peace in
the Middle East. Instead, some of the money was used to create a voters’ database and to try to get people to vote against Netanyahu.
“The State Department ignored warning signs and funded a politically active group in a politically sensitive environment with inadequate safeguards,” said Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who signed off on the report. “It is completely unacceptable that U.S. taxpayer dollars were used to build a political campaign infrastructure that was deployed...against the leader of our closest ally in the Middle East. The report found that OneVoice did, in fact, build an infrastructure to advocate for peace in the Middle East, but once the grant ended that infrastructure was then used to try and defeat Netanyahu. The report found
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that the State Department did not adequately guard to prevent that resources built with grant funds would not eventually be used for political purposes.
A Week of Murder, Mayhem, Chaos and Carnage
Dallas Police Chief David Brown stood at the podium on Friday morning after five of his police officers
were senselessly gunned down while protecting protesters at a Black Lives Matter protest and tried to be resilient. But the pain was evident, “We’re hurting ... We are heartbroken,” he said. Chief Brown may be uniquely qualified to shepherd his department and the city of Dallas through the extreme grief that they are feeling. In his own life, Brown has experienced unimaginable grief and has shown steel resilience. In 1987, his best friend and former police partner was killed in the line of duty, leaving Brown shattered; in 1991, his younger brother was killed by drug dealers; and, on Father’s Day of 2010, just several weeks after Brown was sworn in as police chief, his only son – who suffered from mental illness – shot and killed a random victim and a police officer who responded to the scene before being killed in the ensuing shootout with the police. Chief Brown, who is an African-American who grew up in the inner city, has pioneered a policing method which stresses connection, de-escalation and transparency. This has resulted in Dallas’ crime record steadily falling for the past several years. It has also resulted in the po-
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lice generally having a good relationship with all citizens. Now the police and the citizens of Dallas grieve for the five police officers who were killed – Brent Thompson, 43, who was married two weeks ago; Lorne Ahrens, 48, a father of two, who at 6’ 5” and 300 pounds was known as a gentle giant; Patrick Zamarripa, 32, who was a Navy veteran and recently had a baby; Michael J. Smith, 55, a father of two and a military veteran; and Michael Krol, 40, who was known to have a passion for helping people. The mayhem and murder that unfolded on Thursday night was carried out by Micah Xavier Johnson, 25, of Mesquite, Texas, a military veteran who’d served in Afghanistan. Johnson had been sent to Afghanistan in November 2013 but was sent back to the United States six months after his deployment because another officer was allegedly harassed by him. After shooting at the police from mostly elevated positions inside a parking garage, Johnson taunted officers while they negotiated with him. They eventually eliminated him by using a bomb-carrying robot which they detonated in his presence. “The suspect said he was upset at white people,” said Chief Brown, based on what the killer told negotiators. “He said he wanted to kill white people, especially white police officers.” The shooting in Dallas comes as police around the country are facing excessive scrutiny and are being placed in harm’s way due to the public’s inflammation over two lethal shootings of black men last week. The first shooting took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, when police were attempting to arrest Alton Sterling, 37, for selling CDs outside of a convenience store. The two white officers are seen in several videos of the incident tackling Sterling and then shooting him once he was on the ground and seemingly under their control. Sterling was carrying a gun, and the police allege that he was reaching for the firearm. However, videos of the incident show his hands to be empty and not in his pocket when he was shot. The very next day, in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, thirty-twoyear-old Philando Castile was shot by Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez, who is a Latino, after he and his partner pulled Castile over. Although there is no video of what led to the shooting, Castile’s girlfriend, Diamond Reyn-
olds, who along with her 4-yearold daughter was in the car, livestreamed on Facebook the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Diamond Reynolds looks into the camera and explains that a Minnesota police officer just shot her fiancé four times after they pulled him over for having a broken taillight. She explains in the video that he informed the police that he had a license to carry a gun and was carrying a gun. The police asked for his driver’s license and when he reached for it, Officer Yanez shot and killed him. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton captured the rage when he asked at a press conference after the shooting, “Would this have happened if the driver and passenger were white?” He answered his own question saying, “I don’t think it would have.” However, according to Police Officer Yanez’s attorney, Castile was not pulled over for having a broken taillight, rather he matched the description for an armed robbery that had recently taken place. Although Castile does not have a criminal record, the police have not yet commented on whether he in fact had any connection to that robbery. According to Yanez’s version of events, he was not made aware that Castile had a gun and upon seeing the weapon, reacted by shooting Castile. According to Castile’s attorney, the shooting had nothing to do with race. At this point it is unknown to the public whose version of events is true as Ms. Reynolds only began filming with her phone after her boyfriend had been shot. Regardless of what led to the shooting, it is understandable how passions could be enflamed by the gruesome video. The events of the past week have left the country grieving and searching for answers. Hopefully the investigations into the killings will be peaceful and bear positive fruit, rather than leading to more carnage.
Majority of Americans Believe Hillary Should Have Been Indicted She may be the next president of the United States, but a majority of Americans believe that Hillary Clinton should have been indicted
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
over her use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. According to a Washington Post/ABC News poll, 55 percent of respondents disapproved of FBI Director James Comey’s decision not to recommend that Clinton be charged with a crime and 35 percent approved of that decision. 28 percent of respondents said that the decision not to indict Clinton makes them less likely to vote for her.
The poll comes after FBI Director Comey appeared last Thursday in front of a congressional committee to explain his reasoning, a hearing which led to more questions and astonishing findings about Clinton’s ineptitude. Comey testified that he does not believe that Clinton was “particularly sophisticated” about classification markings on emails
even though every government employee goes through extensive training about that. He also acknowledged that although he does not recommend indictment, if any government employee did what Clinton did, they would be subject to a number of consequences, from sanctions to termination. Comey also acknowledged that a number of Clinton’s past statements – both under oath to Congress and otherwise – were not true. Despite Comey’s findings, Clinton seems undaunted. In an interview with Vox editor-in-chief Ezra Klein last Monday, she said, “Look at the nonsense that people say running for office. I mean, just ridiculous stuff. And they get away with it because there’s no big gong that rings that says ‘Oh, my gosh, look at what so-and-so just said.’” Thankfully there was no gong ringing when Clinton spoke about her emails; if there would have been one, we’d all have pretty big headaches.
It’s All the Same Now this is valuable research! After combing through 1,700 different
television shows, films and books, their twists and turns and climaxes, British researchers have finally determined that all works of fiction are based on at least one of only six plot lines. That includes classic plays like Romeo and Juliet and the magical fiction of Harry Potter.
As we already knew, stories are based on rises and falls of their main characters and these six plot lines are based on some order of that, from “Fall-Rise-Fall” to “Rise-Fall-Rise” to just plain “Steady Rise,” as in Alice in Wonderland (didn’t she fall down that rabbit hole?). The study was based on the analysis of the words of the texts and the changing sentiments associated with the words. Or as in Judaism, “They wanted to kill us, we won, let’s eat.”
Hamptons: Priciest Place to Vacation
The Great Gatsby was onto something. No longer is New York City the priciest vacation destination in the Big Apple area, despite the sky high prices of its hotels and taxicabs. Instead, the Hamptons took the top spot in a recently released survey from NewYorkHotels.org. While the average room in the big city may set you back $150 a night, a night out in classy East Hampton will cost 324 bucks. Two other Hamptons’ destinations take the number two and three spots for expensive lodging: Shelter Island and Southhampton. Surpris-
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ingly, Niagara Falls and Lake George are also listed as more expensive than the city, which is ranked number nine in the state. Were they only including livable hotel space?
Whites More Likely than Blacks to be Shot by Police In the wake of two highly publicized shootings of two African-American men in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Minnesota, a new study finds that police are less likely to use lethal force against black people than they are against white people. The study was conducted by Harvard Professor and economist Roland G. Fryer Jr., who is African-American. “It is the most surprising result of my career,” Fryer told The New York Times. Fryer began the study after Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Mis-
souri, on August 9, 2014. “You know, protesting is not my thing. But data is my thing,” Fryer explained. “So I decided that I was going to collect a bunch of data and try to understand what really is going on when it comes to racial differences in police use of force.” Ironically, his study was released in the days after the two recent highly publicized police shootings of black men.
The study did find that blacks and Hispanics were more likely to be roughed up by police, such as being pushed to the ground, but when it comes to police use of lethal force, black people are 23.8 less likely to be shot than white people.
Eat Cherries, Be Happy
It seems that fruits and vegetables are not just good for your health; they may make you happy too. According to research from the University of Warwick, those who started eating eight portions of fruits and vegetables – after not eating any at all – experienced life satisfaction equivalent from being unemployed to employed. The feeling of well-being took place within 24 months of chomping down carrots and cucumbers. Professor Andrew Oswald pointed out, “Eating fruit and vegetables apparently boosts our happiness far more quickly than it improves human health. People’s motivation to eat healthy food is weakened by the fact that physical-health benefits, such as protecting against cancer, accrue decades later. However,” he continued, “well-being improvements from increased consumption of fruit and vegetables are closer to immediate.” Don’t think you have to start buying out the fruit section at Costco. The happiness effect also occurred in those who were eating less than eight portions of fruits and vegetables; they just didn’t get the full effect. The academics think it may be possible eventually to link this study to current research into antioxidants which suggests a connection between optimism and carotenoid in the blood. So an apple or two a day can keep your sadness at bay.
back on. Depending on the Department’s findings, many of Hillary’s top aides from that time may face certain punishments and may be prevented from holding senior government positions in the future. The investigation will probe Hillary along with confidants Cheryl Mills, the presumed Chief of Staff if Clinton wins the election; Jake Sullivan; and Huma Abedin, Hillary’s closest advisor and the one who wrote the majority of email correspondence with the Democratic nominee.
“There could be repercussions,” State Department spokesman John Kirby told reporters. If someone’s security clearance is taken away, he said it would have an effect “assuming that individual still needed the clearance to work in another federal agency or something like that.” “We will aim to be as expeditious as possible, but we will not put artificial deadlines on the process,” Kirby said. “Our goal will be to be as transparent as possible about our results, while complying with our various legal obligations.” Although Clinton was cleared of any wrongdoing by the FBI investigation, Republican lawmakers are still requesting an investigation to determine if she lied to the FBI during its probe.
Pass the Pasta – It’s Healthy!
State Dept Continues Probe The FBI may have exonerated Hillary Clinton for the use of a private email account and internet server while she was Secretary of State, but a State Department investigation – which was suspended in April to make room for the FBI’s search – is
We have all been there – it’s a big meal and you decide that you will
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that Mediterranean diet, consumed in moderation and respecting the variety of all its elements, is good to your health,” said Licia Lacoviello, of the Neuromed Institute. Now I’m just waiting for the study that says that cannoli are good for you; then all of my problems will be solved.
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And certainly not when they are three tickets in one hour. But that is exactly what Kia Kitchen, 21, racked up in one hour in Pulaski County, Virginia. According to state police, Kitchen was clocked driving 93 mph early Sunday morning and was ticketed for going 23 miles above the 70mph speed limit. Approximately 40 minutes later, the same trooper at the same location clocked Kitchen driving 97 mph. He gave her a second speeding ticket. Approximately 20 minutes later, she was stopped by a different police officer for going 94 mph further up the same roadway. This time she was not only ticketed but arrested as well for misdemeanor reckless driving. After spending 4 days in jail, the judge sentenced her to “time served” and gave her a $1,000 fine. Seems like Ms. Kitchen was driving like she was on fire.
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watch your waistline. What to do? Simple, “I’m just not going to eat the pasta,” you promise yourself. Well, it turns out that pasta may not be as fattening as you think. According to a study of 23,000 people, conducted by the Neuromed Institute in Italy, pasta consump-
tion is actually associated with better weight management. The study, published in the Nutrition Diabetes Journal, linked pasta consumption to both lower body mass and lower waist-to-hip ratio. But before you reach for the ravioli, the study determined that those
who ate pasta generally ate it in accordance with a balanced Mediterranean diet, which generally consists of food which is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, such as legumes, rice, and cereals, plus cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and fish. “The message emerging from this study is
Museum of Ice Cream Need something to do on Sunday? Are your kids fed up with heading to the park – again? How about heading to the museum? No, we’re not kidding you. This museum is one that you won’t have to drag your kids to. They’ll be screaming for joy when
RS
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Later this month, starting July 29, the ice cream pop-up museum will open in lower Manhattan. It will feature a range of interactive and edible exhibits including a “swimmable rainbow ‘sprinkle’ pool” (with fake sprinkles, sadly), edible balloons, and an immersive chocolate room. There will also be tastings led by scientist Dr. Irwin Adam of the Future Food Studio and free ice cream creations from popular New York City ice cream establishments like OddFellows Ice Cream Co. and Black Tap. Unfortunately, these are not kosher confections, but we are sure a stop into any bodega will produce an icy treat when you leave. So this summer, turn your Sunday into a sundae. Play on the ice cream scooper see-saw and dig into the fun. Make sure you go soon to the “whimsical urban ice cream playground” since it’s going to melt – I mean, it’s only open for a short time. And you know your kids will be screaming for the Museum of Ice Cream.
A Grape Fruit for a Grape Price
It was a grape price. A bunch of grapes recently sold for a whopping $11,000 in Japan. Know how many grapes came in this bunch? Around 30 grapes, so he better eat slowly. The grapes were the first Ruby Ro-
mans – a super sweet grape variety grown in a certain area in Japan – of the season. Lest you start “whining” about the price, Japan is known to have buyers who spend outrageous amounts of money on fruit, mostly for the prestige. They buy them to give them as gifts to their boss or employers. This supermarket owner, Takamaru Konishi, proud owner of the grapes, said, “We will display them at our store before giving our customers a sample taste.” In Japan, an apple – yes, one – can cost $3. And melons can be sold for the same price as a vintage wine. Last year a pair of melons sold under the hammer for more than $12,000. “I am so happy and I am honored,” Mr. Konishi said. “These are truly Ruby Roman gems.” No sour grapes for him.
Birds in the City: Loud, Aggressive and Smart
Think the pigeons in the city have an attitude problem? You could be right. A recent study published in the Royal Society Open Science journal found that city birds start singing earlier than those in the countryside. Researchers looked at rufous-collared sparrows in Bogota, Colombia, and observed that these little orange-collared birds start tweeting earlier in the day, not because of light pollution, but to avoid noise from the traffic. Like every city resident, the birds have learned that you need to start your day early if you want to avoid the rush hour. And it’s not just the morning when they’re anxious to get heard. Throughout the day, birds have been observed to be noisier in the city than those feathered friends who live in the countryside. Their tunes are also different, making them faster or slower to stand out amid the din of the metropolis and adjust to the unique acoustic properties of buildings and other urban
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no other. The giant mega-processor takes up a whole room in the 55-yearold’s house. “I spent around three hours a night working on it and I’ve had to take all the books and shelves and sofas out of my lounge,” he said. “I’m lucky because it’s quite a big lounge but I’ve had to put everything else in my spare room.”
Sounds like a big job but wait until you hear how much it cost him: $51,000 over a five-year period. “I didn’t plan on spending [that much money] at the start. It grew as time went by and I got a bit more ambitious,” he said. He admits, “If I had a wife she’d probably have left me by now.” So what do you do with a computer that’s as big as a house and cost thousands of dollars? Not much. The processor is a million times slower and has a million times less memory than a typical desktop. And you can only do one thing on the computer: play Tetris. But Newman thinks his computer is the biggest thing since sliced bread. He is planning on holding open days at his house for people to see the machine. “In the longer term I would like to put it in a museum or go on a road tour to show people,” he said. “I want to show people how computers work and get children interested in electronics.” Perhaps we’d be better off leaving that to people like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. Seems like they’re a little more talented.
obstacles. It’s possible that those in the big city may not even understand their bird-brained cousins living in the suburbs. In fact, rural birds may even think those in the city are, gasp!, rude. Birds living in the city are more aggressive; there may be more food, but it takes more work to claim it. Therefore, like their two-legged city mates,
birds in the metropolis are more street smart and act more boldly and creatively when searching for food. What do all these early mornings; aggressive, loud behavior; and hustling do for our city fowl? Sadly, these birds end up dying earlier than their counterparts. Seems like you can’t have it all.
A Not-So-Super Computer He’s what you call a super-nerd. James Newman has spent tons of time and money into building his own computer. But this computer is like
Those were the days… Rocky’s Rant on page 98
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Around the
Community
Avnet has begun its summer 2016 Softball Leagues and is grateful to all its sponsors: Armitron, Apple Bank For Savings, Gourmet Glatt Emporium, Off The Wall, Picture This - Ira Thomas Creations, Sharmel Caterers, Sushi Tokyo, Titos Hairstylists, Traditions Eatery, and Warren Levi Martial Arts. Good luck to all the teams!
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Around the Community
Amazing Day at the Gesher Century Challenge
T
his past Sunday, the Gesher Early Childhood Center hosted a fun and thrilling day for the community. The Gesher Century Challenge offered cyclists the opportunity to push themselves while entertaining their families. Gesher teamed up with the Gold Coast Tour, a popular ride organized by the Huntington Bicycle Club. Riders had a choice of five trails. 100 miles for the avid riders, 70, 55, and 25 for those in training, and 12 miles for the family riders. Registration opened in April and by Sunday Gesher had a team of over seventy riders signed up. In order to accommodate those riding the various trails, riders were encouraged to personalize their schedule for the day and their starting times. The first group of century cyclists wanted to be on the trail by 7am. Gesher arranged a 5am vasikin minyan at the ride starting point to get things off on the right foot. The Huntington Bike Club was
extremely accommodating, dedicating one of their volunteers to register the Gesher riders in the Gesher
Tent. And so it was, between 6:30am and 9:30am, Gesher riders arrived, had breakfast, registered and were off in a seamless manner. The team was excited to have a home on the road, with familiar faces and plenty of food, and every detail arranged in advance. Gesher would like to thank Mr. Joel Baruch from Gotta Getta Bagel for sponsoring the breakfast. One of the important aspects of a big ride is having ample supplies at each rest stop. Once again, Gesher coordinated with the HBC with the advice of some of the seasoned team members. Kosher protein and nut snacks, salty foods, and bread and spelt crackers with peanut butter supplemented the typical rest stop food provided by Gold Coast. Roslyn Pond Park Riders average 12-18 miles an hour, and long rides can take up to seven hours plus travel time. Leaving the families for such a long time on a Sunday in the summer is challenging. In order to accommodate the families, Gesher arranged for a fun day and a chance for the families to spend time with the riders on the route. Gesher sponsored the Roslyn Pond Park rest stop. The park is
beautiful, overlooking two very large ponds with a playground and plenty of shade. A gourmet lunch was served under the Gesher canopy and plenty of ice cream and ices were available for all. Gesher hired Shelly Wapniak from SeeSawPartyArt to do face painting and balloon creations. Everyone has a blast, and the riders enjoyed spending some fun time with their families along the way. The Finish Line In the meantime, a gourmet spread of after-ride refreshments awaited the riders at the finish line. Between 1pm and 5pm the riders made their way back to the inviting Gesher tent. The team really enjoyed having a semi-private area in which to to rest up with plenty of tables and chairs, items not typically found on a big ride. Gesher wants to thank Mr. Mayer Gold and Seasons for the generous provisions at the rest stops, lunch area, and finish line. Mayer, himself a century rider for Team Gesher, went above and beyond to provide for everyone in attendance. Seasons delivered a great and abundant mix of vegetables, salads, and pastas. Gesher would also like to thank
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Around the Community Mr. Howard Bodner of Party Source, another Gesher rider, for providing and coordinating the set-up of the two tents, tables and chairs, and the ice cream cart. Mr. Bodner, fatherin-law of Gesher’s director Mrs. Chava Bodner, also chaperoned the four youngest riders on the trail. The Riders Team Gesher was made up a real cross section of the community, each member coming out to support the work of the Gesher Early Childhood Center. Many Gesher parents, and even grandparents, participated. Staff members and related service providers were part of the team as well. Consistent with Gesher’s mission, many riders exceeded personal expectations. It was a challenge, comparable to the experience that young children sometimes have in school. But with dedication and proper support riders walked away exhilarated and proud. Everyone enjoyed the scenic trails of Long Island’s North Shore. Riders ranged in age from those in their seventies to the youngest rider aged nine. With many of the team sporting the stunning new Gesher jerseys, the team’s presence was felt throughout the day. Thank you to Mr. Shaya Lieber for his hard work designing the jerseys. Team members also received a
rider’s favorite, a Camelback Big Chill insulated water bottle, sponsored by Mr. Carmi Gruenbaum of One Cap and Preferred Services insurance. A dedicated board member of Gesher, Mr. Gruenbaum volunteered from 4am till 10am, before heading out to camp visiting day. Gesher is very proud to acknowledge the tremendous kiddush Hashem that the team and families made. Reports from every rest stop consistently noted the pleasant demeanor of the riders. The Roslyn Park lunch area was left immaculate and the wonderful behavior of the children made quite an impression. Many thanks to the HBC and the Gold Coast riders who made every effort to make Team Gesher feel welcome and supported. Team Morah Chedva In just a few weeks will be the first yahrtzeit of Morah Chedva Gross, Freida Chedva bas Yaakov Tuvia a”h. Morah Chedva was part of the Gesher Early Childhood Center since its inception in 2012, a dedicated and loving mother, who channeled that love into her students. In her memory, some of her family and peers rode the Gesher Century Challenge to raise scholarship funds. It was a fitting tribute, combining family fun and commitment to education. The team raised over $3,000.
Thank you! Gesher would like to thank the many corporate sponsors who supported the team. Special mention to the Frishman Family of Fruit Platters and More, who as riders raised close to $6,000 with close to 70 backers. Gesher would also like to thank the many cyclists who shared their input in the planning stages to ensure a successful event: Shaya Lieber, Andy Gladstone, Meir Sherman,
Alon Goldberger, and Mayer Gold. Gesher appreciates the parents and friends who volunteered their time through the day. Most importantly, Gesher would like to thank the dedicated staff of administrators and morahs whose tireless efforts and professionalism create the successful environment of the Gesher Early Childhood Center.
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Around the Community
Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns Annual Breakfast
O
n Sunday, June 26, the Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns hosted its 14th Annual Breakfast. The breakfast was well attended by a cross section of the community. People came to acknowledge the worthy honorees and, of course, to show appreciation for the Yeshiva and its Torah presence in our neighborhood. The breakfast was hosted in the Yeshiva’s own dining room, which is fitting as that venue has, in its short tenure, hosted many beautiful events that were sources of kiddush Hashem and kavod HaTorah. The morning began with a perek of Tehillim led by R’ Yosef Richtman, the Yeshiva’s Director of Special Projects. The actual program was
Rav Yitzchok Knobel, shlita, the Rosh Kollel, followed by pointing out that the kesser Torah is the one crown of the three that is not designated to a specific group (kehuna, malchus) but is open to all. This is the mission the Yeshiva sees for itself; to provide opportunities for everyone and anyone to learn Torah and become a jewel on that crown. Rav Knobel then introduced the first honoree, R’ Yossie Sinensky to accept the Kesser Torah award. Yossie has adorned himself with that crown of Torah through his own learning and by surrounding himself with the jewels that are his family, all imbued with the values of Torah and chessed. Yossie spoke about his ha-
Rav Moshe Zev Katzenstein, Rosh Yeshiva; Yossie Sinensky - Kesser Torah Award; Rav Yitzchok Knobel, Rosh Kollel; and Baruch Moskowitz, Executive Director
Zev Katzenstein, shlita, the Rosh Yeshiva introduced Erez as someone whose shalheves, flame, is oleh mei’aleha – rises by itself.
and rabbonim such as Rav Moshe Weinberger, shlita, but one that also has a Yeshiva to bring all the diverse elements together through Torah. The final honoree was R’ Adam (Zohar) Sigman who received the Amud Hatorah award. R’ Adam in his classic, sincere style described why his connection with the Yeshiva is so strong, despite never having actually been a
Frankel, shlita, and dedicated his honor to the memory of Rabbi Shlomo Wahrman, z”l. The breakfast is integral for the Yeshiva to partially cover its operating budget. However, it is, more importantly, an opportunity for the baalei baatim who use the Yeshiva during the year for learning, davening, and shiurim to show their appreciation as well. Perhaps most of all, it is an occasion
Rav Moshe Zev Katzenstein, Rosh Yeshiva; Erez Shilo – Yedid Hatorah; Rav Yitzchok Knobel, Rosh Kollel; and Baruch Moskowitz, Executive Director
opened with remarks by R’ Baruch Moskowitz, the Yeshiva’s Executive Director. He commented on the exponential growth in numbers of the Yeshiva’s talmidim and the community involvement since we have entered our new building. This comes to a climax on leil Shavuos when a spectrum of ages, affiliations, and neighborhoods comes to be part of an inspirational, night of intense learning.
karas hatov to the Yeshiva for creating a place for his family to be rooted in Torah and avodah. In a poignant moment, he had asked everyone to rise and show appreciation to Rav Binyomin Kamenetzky, shlita, a pioneer for everything that is accomplished in our community. The next honoree to be recognized was R’ Erez Shilo, who accepted the Yedid Hatorah award. Rav Moshe
His passion is evident in everything he does, and that passion is what endears him to everyone he befriends, for whom he does work, or with whom he davens and learns. Erez, in his humorous manner, depicted how the yeshiva has been part of his journey to embrace Torah and mitzvos to the level he and his family have today. He described how fortunate he is to be part of a community with such wonderful shuls
Rav Moshe Zev Katzenstein, Rosh Yeshiva; Adam Sigman – Amud Hatorah Award; and Rav Yitzchok Knobel, Rosh Kollel
student in it. He spoke about the warmth of the Yeshiva and its hanhalla, how he feels very much a part of the Yeshiva through the Torah and tefilla he partakes in the Yeshiva every morning and evening. He acknowledged his kesher with Rav Yitzchok
that showcases the supremacy of Torah and serves as a proud declaration of what a unique makom Torah the Yeshiva Gedolah of the Five Towns has become in our community.
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07/17/16 - 07/22/16 Sunday - Friday Free Parking
1913 Cornaga Avenue • Far Rockaway • T. 718.471.7555 F. 718.471.9102 E. ordersfrankels@gmail.com
Major Deals
Fridge -Freezer Nestle
Sabra
All Varieties 10 Oz
Bananas
Family Pack
Bounty
Family Pack
Ground Beef
Towels 15 Pk
Chicken Breasts
2/$5.00
$
Mehadrin
Milk
Chocolate Leben
64 Oz.
0.49
3.89
13.99
$
1.89 Lb
$
Lb
Household Aspen
Tissues 144 Ct
0.79
$
Soft Scrub
11.99
2/$5.00
Lemon Scented 24 Oz.
2/$5.00
Shredded Cheese 8 Oz Asst.
Perfection
100 Ct
2/$5.00
5/$1.00
Green
Nature's Own
Zucchini Squash
.79 Lb
$
Sweet Summer
3/$2.00
$
Mango
Crisp
Green Pepper
Nectarines
.99 Lb
$
.99 Lb
Cole Slaw /Green & Red Cabbage
Frankel's Is Watermelon Heaven!!
Whole Watermelons
Watermelon 1/4's
(Approx 12 Lb.)
4.99Ea.
$
1.99
$
Two Ways To Enjoy Alan's Bakery
At Frankel's… come in Thursday and Friday and choose from the enormous selection of fresh challahs and cakes Special order? Call Alan's bakery at 718.468.1243 And have your order ready for pickup at Frankel's (please give two days notice on all special orders)
Email:Ordersfrankels@Gmail.Com
Cereal Kix
Reg/Honey /Berry
2/$7.00
Cereal All Varieties
3.99
$
Golden Grahams Cereal 12 Oz
2/$6.00
B&G
Cooking Spray
32 Oz.
Dill Gherkins
6 Oz.
$
$
5.99
2/$5.00
Ronzoni
Bnei Darom
Heinz
Lieber's
Reg Or Oven Ready
8.8 Oz.
16 Oz. Can
16 Oz. Can
Lasagna
1.99
Couscous
1.79
Baked Beans
Chick Peas
$
4/$3.00
3/$3.00
5/$3.99
Fresh Daily
Lieber's
Lieber's
Lieber's
Salted 12 Oz.
Reg/Mini
Chocolate Minio's
2 -Lb. Loaf
2.49
Lieber's
2/$3.00
Aleph Bais Cookies
Camp Special!!
6/$1.00
1.99
20 Oz
Reg/Tropical 100 Ct.
5/$5.00
$
$
3.99
Camp Special!!
0.99
Gatorade All Varieties 1/2 Gal
2/$5.00
Now Available Fresh Daily At Frankel's
Ossie's Salmon Fillet
Meat
Family Pack
Family Pack
Beef Stew
Family Pack
Cereal 10.7 Oz
$
2/$6.00
Quarts
Fish
General Mills
Cocoa Puffs
Camp Special!!
Camp Special!!
2/$3.00
$
PowerAde
We: 7-8 Th: 7-10 Fri: 7-4:30
Free Coffee in store
Marshmallows
Vitamin Water Otter Freeze And Gatorade Pops
Store Hours Su: 7-7 Mon: 7-8 Tu: 7-8
Snackers
Rib Steaks
8.99Lb
Family Pack
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5.99 Lb
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Canola
Chicken Cutlets
2.19 Lb
$
Kashi
3/$2.00
$
1 Oz.
Alan's Bakery
All Varieties
0.89
Reg/Decaf 8 Oz.
$
0.69Lb.
$
YoCrunch
$
Instant Coffee
Rye Bread Kosher Taste
1.29
$
Eggs
Maxwell House
Apple Juice
1.99
Lg.
Soy Yogurt 5.3 Oz Asst
XL
2/$1.00
1/2 Gallon
Produce
Silk Dairy Free
Grocery
6" Plastic Plates
Deep Lasagna Pans
Tropicana
2.99
2/$7.00
La Yogurt 6 Oz Asst
Schtark
2/$5.00
9x13
$
Original Only 59 Oz.
$ $
2/$3.00 Orange Juice
Cholov Yisroel 1/2 Gal
12 Pk
$
Matbucha 7.5oz
Iced Teas And Lemonades
3.69
With Wings
Tuv Tam
Turkey Hill
Coffee Mate 32 Oz
Chumus
3.89 Lb
$
Family Pack
Chicken Breasts With Wings
1.89 Lb
$
$ Family Pack
Ground Beef
3.89 Lb
$
We Now Carry A Full Line Of KJ
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Family Pack
Shoulder Steaks
5.99 Lb
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Sliced Deli
Shoulder London Broil
5.99 Lb
$
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Reaching New Heights with Tour de Simcha 2016 By Tammy Mark
I
t was a finish line like no other. The Camp Simcha Special campers were lined up and waiting patiently, dressed festively in pink with dedicated counselors by their sides. The temperatures rose and the excitement built by the second as volunteers, family members and guests awaited the riders’ arrival. The atmosphere at the Glen Spey, New York, campus of Camp Simcha was overflowing with joy, but when the women of Tour de Simcha began rolling into camp to cross the “World’s Greatest Finish Line,” the celebration truly began. 175 women participated in Chai Lifeline’s Tour de Simcha 5th Anniversary Ride to benefit Camp Simcha, an overnight camp where over 400 sick and disabled children come each summer to have the time of their lives. Each and every rider was cheered on as they crossed, with eager volunteers attentively whisking away the bikes, allowing riders to immediately join the triumphant dancing and celebrating. The Master of Ceremonies, Girls Head Counselor Rivky Schwartz, rivaled any professional announcer
with her ability to keep the energy going at a constant high. Rider Rivky Holtzberg was undoubtedly the superstar of the event.
Born without legs, 18-year-old Rivky rode 50 miles on a hand bike, astonishing and inspiring fellow riders, campers and spectators alike. A Camp Simcha camper for the past 10 years, she was motivated to ride after witnessing the exuberance of the finish line year after year. The entire camp rooted for Rivky this year as they distributed and displayed their “#teamrivky” stickers throughout the day. The celebration continued on in the camp gym where awards were presented to the riders who raised the most money for the cause. Deborah Katz from Lawrence, New York, led team “Team Miles for Mimi,” riding in honor of her mother and raising $75,000. Some of the top riders not only brought in the largest donations but also the utmost of enthusiasm; Dr. Tammy Glaubach Bryk and Tamara Kaynan of Queens with their festive wigs and tutus and Dasi Gobioff of Brooklyn, aka The Purple Lady, all come back to ride and spread their cheer year after year. Participants from the tri-state area and beyond tackled the 72 mile ride facing 90 degree temperatures with passion and dedication to the cause. Training and fundraising
throughout the year, many riders also motivate their family members to ride, including returning rider and blogger “Fashion-isha” Sharon Langert of Springfield, New Jersey, who brought along her daughter Sara Reifer to join her all the way from Lincolnwood, Illinois. Tour de Simcha represents a diverse spectrum of women across the Jewish community and of every fitness level – from seasoned athletes to first time riders. Lottie Bildirici, an avid athlete and holistic health coach who runs the popular website Running on Veggies and has participated in numerous triathlons, was one of the most conditioned athletes of the ride. She was very excited for Tour de Simcha from the beginning but the experience surpassed her expectations by far. “The ride was tough, hot, hilly and unforgiving – but that finish line made every ounce of sweat worth it. You can hear the noise from miles away as we approached the finish line. Each child came and thanked me for riding, but I felt like thanking them for giving me this opportunity to ride for such an unbelievable cause,” says Bildirici. “I am already looking forward to next year!”
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Around the Community Libby Akerman of Monsey, New York, was one of the driving forces behind TDS, having come up with the initial idea for a women’s ride after cheering on her husband during Bike for Chai men’s ride. She recruited riders for that very first ride and watched the event grow from there. Her enthusiasm for the ride is contagious. “It’s amazing to be a part of the best event ever for female athletes! There is no feeling as good as the finish line at Camp Simcha; it unites us all on the most human level,” says Akerman. The event kicked off on Tuesday, beginning with the pre-ride pasta party the night before, where Rivky shared her story and inspired her fellow riders. First time rider Aliza Cinamon of Cedarhurst attended with her sister, returning rider Tova Gerson of Bergenfield, and was moved by the entire experience. She expressed how meaningful it was when Executive Vice President, Rabbi Simcha Scholar, addressed the riders at the pre-ride dinner, telling the women that “Camp Simcha is one of the holiest places on earth and that as we
ride in we should pray for whatever we want because the place is so holy.” The entire two days of the Tour de Simcha event ran flawlessly with Director Mindy Tyner and Producer Yoel Margolese at the helm. Every comfort was provided to the riders from beginning to end, from the amenities provided for the overnight stay at the Minerals Resort & Spa in Vernon, New Jersey, to the array of refreshments at each rest stop, some with dancing and even a massage therapist towards the finish line. Riders’ safety, comfort and hydration were top priority, especially given the extreme weather conditions. Riders and guests were treated to a lavish barbeque after the ride, with riders given the opportunity to utilize mobile showers provided for them. Tour de Simcha 2016 was an overwhelming success and raised over $900,000 – close to double the amount of last year’s ride – with the help of an impressive list of corporate sponsors big and small. After some much needed rest and recovery, the entire team will definitely be gearing up for an even bigger and better Tour de Simcha 2017.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Summer fun at Simcha Day Camp
A Package from Home
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he 4th annual A Package from Home Walk-a-thon will be held this year on Tuesday, July 26 at the beautiful Sunny At-
lantic Beach Club. As always, it will include a walk on the boardwalk, a beautiful health bar, and a short program. A Package from Home is
London Broil – Perfect for Shabbos Lunch Page 78
an organization in Israel dedicated to raising money and collecting supplies for Israeli Lone Soldiers. Started after the second Intifada, the wonderful members from A Package from Home are dedicated to strengthening the spirit and resolve of each Israeli soldier and to showing appreciation for the sacrifices they are making in securing our safety and the survival of the Jewish People. Their care packages are not only a warm reminder of the love
and esteem we hold for our soldiers but are also items that they sorely need. Registration on the morning of the walk begins at 9:30 am, with the walk beginning promptly at 10. Please take advantage of a yoga option at 9am with Davira Bareli. To register, or for more information, please visit our website, apfhwalk.com.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Around the Community
Pictured L to R: Senator Todd Kaminsky, Former Lawrence Mayor Marty Oliner, and Elan Carr, past Alpha Epsilson Pi President and Middle East Expert, at the Alpha Epsilon Pi Anti-BDS forum held on Wednesday night, July 6, at the home of former Lawrence Mayor Marty Oliner. Senator Kaminsky spoke about his legislation that would bar state funding of BDS student organizations, and Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Executive Director, Andy Borans, spoke about AEPi’s efforts to combat anti-Semitism and anti-Israel activities on college campuses. Undergraduate students from area schools attended and also heard from Elan Carr, past international president of Alpha Epsilon Pi, who is a Middle East Expert, criminal prosecutor and military officer. There was a question and answer session following the speeches.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community Machane Hakayitz had a "ball" this week
Senator Todd Kaminsky at the Irving Place Minyan Barbeque with IPM President Dr. Duvy Goldberg and past IPM President Evan Scharaga
St. John’s Episcopal Hospital’s New Strategic Plan
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t. John’s CEO Jerry Walsh and COO Chris Parker held a Town Hall at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital to roll out the first Strategic Plan. It took many weeks and lots of input from board members, executive staff, staff, community leaders and members of the public to get our first Strategic Plan in existence. The very comprehensive Plan which covers three years (2016 to 2019) is a fully functional, working document and some results are already visible. In the year that Jerry Walsh has been CEO, there have been many important new placements including a
new COO, Christopher Parker, a new SVP, Chief Quality Officer Dell Joiner and a new Chief Patient Relations Officer. Also the nursing/patient ratio has been substantially increased by hiring new nursing staff. For the first time, the hospital staff have been responsible for their own budget process and will be held accountable for it. Very positive results in curbing expenses have already been seen. Additionally, at this Town Hall, Councilman Donovan Richards presented Jerry with a check in the amount of $369,000 towards the Labor and Delivery upgrade.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Chinuch Comes Alive at Camp Kaylie
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ports and chinuch are staples of summer camp, but at Camp Kaylie, Torah learning isn’t just another period on the schedule -- it’s an activity that every single camper looks forward to every day with enthusiasm. From an array of chinuch shiurim, to mishmar and cocoa club, to a Masmidim program, learning is an exciting and integral part of the packed schedule at Camp Kaylie, as campers are inspired by the myriad of formal and informal learning opportunities. Campers look forward to their two daily chinuch shiurim, as they cover a tremendous amount of ground in Gemara, Mishnah, parsha, mussar and halacha, while being inspired by a cadre of experienced and dynamic rebbeim, under the leadership of Rabbi Shalom Rosner. Shiurim are given at different levels to cater to the individual strengths of each camper and maximize their potential. Rabbi Rosner personally teaches an advanced Gemara shiur for older campers. “Chinuch in camp is one of my favorite activities,” said Moshe Carroll (B24). “Rabbi Rosner’s shiur is awesome and we get to learn a lot of Gemara in-depth.” In addition to chinuch, an array of optional learning activities further complement the learning at Kaylie. The
younger divisions in camp enthusiastically run to Cocoa Club every morning after wakeup to learn Pirkei Avot with Rabbi Yossi Ungar, enhanced by inspiring stories. “I love learning in camp,” said Aiden Buchbinder (B2). “Cocoa club and chinuch are awesome and Rabbi Ungar tells the best stories.” A weekly Thursday night mishmar program for the older campers has proven to be a big hit, as has nightly shiurim for staff. At Camp Kaylie, it isn’t uncommon to see a counselor learning with his campers, as the boys are taught the importance of being a ben Torah at all times during the day. Additionally, Camp Kaylie’s Masmidim program makes a major impact on the environment of the camp. More than 15 young men dedicate their days to studying Masechet Menachot with Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz, while imbuing a tangible spirit of kedushah and Torah throughout the camp. In addition, the Masmidim lead several exciting learning programs for campers while also enjoying many shiurim from prominent guest rebbeim. “The Masmidim Program is one of the many gems of Camp Kaylie,” said Avi Beer. “Not only do we get to learn intensely ourselves, but we also get to transmit the Torah we learn while inspiring the campers.”
Camp Kaylie Cocoa Club campers with Rabbi Unger
Late night learning with Rabbi Joey Hirshel
Mishmar with Rabbi Marcus
Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier of the Shmuz Joins Frum Divorce for a Shabbos of Chizuk
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n Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 3, Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier of the Shmuz joined Frum Divorce in the Renaissance Hotel in Westechester, NY, for their 6th Bi-Annual Shabbos of inspiration and chizuk. Frum Divorce is an organization that was created to heal the pain felt by parents and children of divorce in a strong community environment.
Through support groups, community lectures and popular events, they try to ensure no Jewish parent or child is alone at this most difficult time. Rabbi Shafier’s Friday night keynote presentation, “Learning From the Past and Moving Forward--- What’s My Plan and What’s G-d’s Plan?” was a meaningful and inspirational shiur that moved his listeners. They gained
from Rabbi Shafier’s clear style and down to earth approach. On Shabbos day, his address titled, “What to Look for in a Soul-Mate, The First or Second Time Around” was profound, practical and fabulously attended. The focus of the lecture was on critical errors being made during the dating process. Rabbi Shafier stayed on Sunday to speak once again. It was an enjoyable Shabbos for
a very important cause. The Shmuz is a Torah lecture that offers a worldview on major life issues ranging from working on our middos to learning to be a better spouse, from understanding the meaning of our davening to what is our purpose is in this world. Rabbi Ben Tzion Shafier has been delivering these lectures across America and beyond for a decade.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Around the Community Fun and excitement at Camp Matov
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center Unveils Winners of 23rd Annual Photo Contest
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urwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center recently unveiled the winners of the annual Gurwin Photo Contest, which are now on permanent display at the 460-bed nursing and rehabilitation facility. The striking photos are a signature element of the warm and welcoming environment at Gurwin. According to Herbert H. Friedman, Gurwin Center Executive Vice President/ CEO, the contest began more than 23 years ago with two objectives: to decorate the new facility, and to give local photographers an opportunity to show off their work. “Our contest has a loyal following, and most of the photographers understand that their photo does more than win them a prize,” he said. “When a photo is chosen, it is not only well-done technically and pleasing in subject matter, but also it is selected with our residents in mind. Knowing that it will bring joy to others for years
to come is often cited by photographers as the main reason they enter our contest, regardless of the actual prize won.” This year, more than 850 entries were received in 12 categories. In all, 44 photos were selected to adorn the walls of the Helen and Nat Tiffen Gallery in the main corridor at Gurwin. The Tiffen Company, whose founder Nat was a Gurwin Center resident, has sponsored the contest for 10 years. “Tiffen Company’s generosity enables us to continue to provide beautiful, changing artwork for our residents to enjoy,” Friedman said. Professional photographers Michael Cassera, Jan LaRoche and Tony Lopez did the honors as judges; a panel of resident judges then chose their “Resident Selections” from a grouping of possible winners. “It is always exciting to enter this contest,” said Karen Celella, a perennial winner whose photo Winter Solitude gar-
Children of the Land by Best in Show winner Lorraine Piskin of Bellmore
nered an Honorable Mention in the Landscape Category. “I am honored to be among the winners again this year. In comparison to the many other contests I have been fortunate to be part of, this contest holds the honor of the very best printing, framing and pre-
senting.” The Gurwin Photo Contest has become one of Long Island’s premier photo contests, drawing entries from amateur photographers across the country. “There were so many awesome photos this year,” said Lopez, owner of Tony Lopez Photography. “Choosing a winner becomes more difficult each year, because the entries keep getting better and better.” The contest opens each year on February 15. Submissions are due April 15. Visit www.gurwin.org/ about/photo-contest to view the 2016 winners’ gal-
lery. To be placed on next year’s contest mailing list, contact publicrelations@ gurwin.org. Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center is a 460-bed nursing care facility located in Commack, Long Island. Gurwin offers skilled nursing care, shortterm rehabilitation, medical/post-surgical subacute care, respiratory and ventilator dependent care, an adult day health program, on-site dialysis, hospice care, home care and assisted living. Visit us at www. gurwin.org.
“What may be, may not be.” Eytan Kobre on page 58 Tulip Staircase by Best in Show runner up Marzena Grabczynska of Glen Cove
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Around the Community
Amudim Summer Program for At Risk Teens Kicks Off with Five Towns BBQ
B
ack for its 17th summer and better than ever, Gavz Boyz, an action-packed travel camp experience geared to at risk teens who don’t thrive in a regular summer camp setting, kicked off with a lavish barbeque hosted by Rochelle and Mel Lishitz in Lawrence this past Monday night. Gavz Boyz, a division of Amudim Community Resources, is a four week
program filled with thrilling adventures and activities designed to keep participants constantly on the move, keeping the camp fresh and novel. Now in its second year under the auspices of Amudim, Gavz Boyz is run by Yoni Rosenblum, Moshe Frankel and a team of five counselors, providing campers with the opportunity to find themselves and make new friends while experienc-
ing immense personal growth. Both staff and campers are excited to begin their journey on the all new Gavz Boyz van, donated by the Zakheim family in memory of Shlomo Zakheim. In the upcoming weeks, the program will take the group of 15 boys, who come from New York, New Jersey and as far away as Israel, on an excursion throughout the United States
where the extensive itinerary will include caving, jet skiing, rock climbing and scuba diving. Among the many sponsors whose generosity makes Gavz Boyz possible are Rena and Shalom Vegh of Westwood Realty and Gourmet Glatt’s Yoeli Steinberg and Moshe Ratner who will be providing fabulous meals throughout the summer.
Anticipating a Remarkable Dinner
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e are experiencing an overwhelming outpouring of good feelings and excitement in anticipation of this year’s Siach Yitzchok Dinner to be held on July 19t at Congregation Kneseth Israel. The response of the community at large is due to the very special honorees. Mr. and Mrs. Evan Genack, our Guests of Honor, are respected and beloved throughout the community for their quality of character and the warm interactions they share with friends and whoever they encounter. They are involved in a myriad of projects and maasim of chesed for individuals as well as the klal. Evan and his wife avail themselves to people any time of day or night. Mrs. Genack, is herself, an entire chesed organization. Evan, a daily chavrusa and close friend of our menahel, Reb Dovid Sitnick, has been a tremendous help on the cheder’s Building Committee, sharing his wealth of experience in every step of the project. He freely gives of his time and his energies whenever asked and his help has been invaluable. They have, boruch Hashem,
emerged from their very quiet, humble lifestyle, with true self-sacrifice, and have allowed Siach Yitzchok to become the recipient of their exceptional kindness. Rabbi and Mrs. Aaron Eliezer Stein will be accepting the Harbotzas Torah Award. Reb Aaron Eliezer, an alumnus of Siach Yitzchok, spent many years learning at the Mir Yeshiva and Reb Tzvi Kaplan shlit”a in Yerushalayim. Eventually he developed an extremely close relationship with Rav Avrohom Noach Gabuz shlit”a of Kollel Har Ephraim, in Yerushalayim who Aaron Eliezer learned with as a chavrusa for five years. It was Rav Gabuz who guided him to open a shul in Far Rockaway, which Aaron Eliezer named for his father zt”l, Khal Zichron Moshe Dov. There are 130 families that have attached themselves to the shul and feel that they have found an appropriate makom to daven and learn. Mrs. Stein is Morah Kayla Mirel, a truly beloved nursery teacher in our nursery program, Reishis Chochma. She imbues her students with a tremendous geshmak for Yiddishkeit and
fills their heads and hearts with parsha, Shabbos, yomim tovim, and middos tovos. There is never a dull moment in her class. At Siach Yitzchok we are extremely proud to recognize their accomplishments in harbotzas Torah. Mr. and Mrs. Yitzy Halpern are truly worthy of the Kesser Shem Tov. Yaakov Yitzchok is also an alumnus of Siach Yitzchok and even as a young child he was recognized as possessing unusual ahavas Yisroel. Well known for his warm smile, embracing heart, and always encouraging, uplifting words, one cannot wait to engage him in conversation. It is rare for one to find such an unusually devoted friend as Yitzy, who gives with ease, leaving one feel that not only have you not imposed upon him, but it was his utmost pleasure to do whatever you have asked of him. Undoubtedly, much of the huge success of The Jewish Home, his local, weekly magazine, is due to his middos tovos and love of people. Mrs. Halpern, the facilitator of the entire family, quietly provides whatever is necessary to maintain a happy, balanced home, with all doors open,
welcoming a steady flow of guests. Subtly and consistently she encourages Yitzy to pursue all of his endeavors with the peace of mind that every truly important aspect of his life is under control. Reb Yeruchem “Phil” Goldfeder is the recipient of a truly heartfelt and special Presentation of Appreciation. Siach Yitzchok has, upon many, many occasions, called upon Reb Yeruchem and his devoted staff for assistance. Immediately, without hesitation, Reb Yeruchem responded, directing the appropriate staff member to do whatever was required to accomplish the task and never expecting the slightest recognition in return. Whenever we expressed our appreciation, his only response was, “Please, don’t thank me. It is my pleasure to help. Don’t hesitate to call me anytime that you need me.” Knowing that he meant it, we did. Time after time our requests were met with the same desire to help and the same shunning of appreciation. Therefore, we are extremely pleased to have this opportunity.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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Around the Community
Save the Date: Yeshiva Zeev Hatorah’s 8th Annual Dinner By Devorah Koenig
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eshiva Zeev Hatorah of Eretz Yisroel is proud to announce the celebration of its 8th year of inspired learning and Yiddishkeit, welcoming another incredible zman of opportunity to learn under the revered Rosh HaYeshiva, Rav Shmuel Brazil, shlita. Rav Shmuel’s famed warmth and gift of providing quality learning and spiritual guidance in a nurturing environment infused with hartzigge davening, have built close bonds over the decades with thousands of talmidim. Those who were fortunate to experience this continue to feel hakoras hatov each day for the hashpaa they received during their formative years. The coming Dinner in tribute of this unique Yeshiva will take place on Sunday, September 11, at the Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, New York. This year, the yeshiva honors three individuals, each sharing a meaningful connection with Rav Shmuel, who has been lovingly called a “Rebbi for Life.” The dynamic Rav Yehoshua Kurland, maggid shiur of Shor Yoshuv, will be graced with the Kesser Torah Award for his over 40 years of being a successful and passionate mechanech. Rav Kurland’s yedidus with Rav Shmuel is a testimony to their shared approach to chinuch which they received from their beloved Rebbi, Harav Shlomo Freifeld, zt”l. The Mesorah Award will be presented to Mr. Yosef Soshtein of Far Rockaway, New York, a talmid of Rav Shmuel, whose life commitments to Torah and to his community reflect the unique foundation built during his yeshiva years. Mr. Gavriel Platchek, also of Far Rockaway, New York, will be honored with the Zeev Alumnus Award as a talmid who exemplifies the Zeev Hatorah’s ideals of inspired growth in Yiddishkeit. Last month, the yeshiva hosted a Shabbaton in New York for Rav Shmuel’s talmidim. This was a moving and uplifting event that drew a crowd of 200 people of all ages who came to strengthen their longstanding relationships with their Rebbi. The enjoyment felt at the Shabbaton was a mere taste of the excitement soon to be re-experienced on a larger scale at the upcoming Dinner where
there will be an opportunity for everyone to express their personal hakaras hatov. Please be an integral part of lend-
ing your support on this auspicious occasion to Yeshiva Zeev Hatorah which serves as a Torah oasis for excelling in learning, spiritual and personal growth while preserving
one’s unique individuality. To make reservations or contribute to the yeshiva, please call (908) 333-4943 x6, or visit www.zeevdinner.org.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Op-Ed
Hillary & Bernie Make It Clear No Room for Pro-Israel Democrats by Supervisor Anthony J. Santino
Cornel West with Bernie Sanders
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here is no question about it: this is not your parents’ Democrat Party. Why? Because the Democratic Party of President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders has decisively, and shamelessly, turned anti-Israel. And any remaining friends the State of Israel – the world’s lone Jewish State, and America’s closest, most trusted ally in the Middle East – has left in the Democratic Party are afraid to speak up, let alone do anything to stop this. Standing with our allies is an important part of governance; it’s a cornerstone principle of democracy itself. And so is the continued fight against bigotry, acts of hatred and anti-Semitism, which include efforts designed to undermine any of our nation’s allies, specifically the despicable BDS movement, which aims to undermine the sovereignty of Israel. It’s why the Town of Hempstead, America’s largest township, was among the first of municipalities in New York State to adopt legislation
prohibiting our government from doing business with individuals or companies that boycott the United States, Israel or any of our allies. Our local law ensures that our township only contracts with entrepreneurs who are friendly and reject acts of hatred and economic hostility. Nassau County also passed a similar measure sponsored by Legislator Howard Kopel. Both measures, introduced by Republicans, passed with unanimous bipartisan support. Shockingly, this level of clarity is largely absent when it comes to elected Democrats on the federal level. A Pew Research Poll a few weeks ago found that more self-described liberal Democrats sympathize with the Palestinians than with Israel. In fact, according to the non-partisan Pew Organization, “the share of liberal Democrats who side more with the Palestinians that with Israel has nearly doubled since 2014…and is higher than at any point dating back to 2001.” This unfortunate trend has been building for years. During
President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign in 2012, the Democratic National Committee’s initial platform actually dropped long-standing language declaring that Jerusalem is the capital of the State of Israel. As a major New York paper opined, when “embarrassed party officials tried to reinstate that clause on the convention floor, they were met with raucous boos from the delegates. They gaveled the measure through as passed – even though it clearly hadn’t.” Four years later, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sander’s handpicked DNC Platform Committee is chockfull of radical Democrats who are stridently anti-Israel. Even Israel’s decidedly left-leaning Haaretz decried the Democrats for “[choosing the] wrong people to change [their] platform on Israel.” They most certainly did! The DNC Platform Committee is the body that crafts that party’s platform. It’s packed with handpicked Clinton-Sanders anti-Israel members. In fact, only former Congressman Howard Berman is
the only stalwart supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship. The former California congressman must contend with anti-Israel vitriol spewed by other committee members such as Professor Cornel West, Dr. James Zogby, Congressman Keith Ellison and Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Dr. Cornel West, a graduate of Harvard and Princeton Universities, fervently promotes the BDS movement with his full-throated support for boycotting the Jewish State. West is on the record claiming that he, as an academic, could not find one historical link between the Jewish people and Israel. He has published claims that the “U.S. supported Israeli slaughters of innocent civilians,” and describes Gaza – a territory the Israeli government transferred fully to the Palestinians a decade ago as a means of initiating a renewed peace process – as “not just a ‘kind of’ concentration camp, it is the hood on steroids.” West’s noxious views about Israel closely align with fellow DNC Platform Committee member and Democrat pollster, James Zogby, a
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
prominent Arab-American activist, who, among other outrageous opinions, has described Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a war criminal. Dr. Zogby has written that “the plight of Palestinians is to the Arabs, what the Holocaust is to Jews.” In fact, Zogby, the president of the Arab-American Institute, has played a key role in attempts to include language into the Democratic Party’s platform that recognizes Palestinian “dignity,” opposes Israel’s “occupation,” and denounces “settlement activity” in what the proposed inclusions refer to as Palestinian lands, according to The Jerusalem Post. Another member of this ill-conceived committee is Congressman Keith Ellison, who has compared Israel to South Africa’s apartheid, and strongly advocates that Israel give security concessions to Hamas. Ellison previously compared former President George W. Bush to Adolf Hitler and, reported The Washington Post, had numerous past associations with the Nation of Islam and its virulently anti-Semitic leader, Louis Farrakhan. It’s no wonder the Republican Jewish Coalition calls Congressman Ellison “an anti-Israel zealot.” Politico reported, during a DNC platform committee hearing in Washington, that West and Zogby actually pushed for the use of the term “occupation” to describe Israel’s control of Palestinian territories in the party’s 2016 platform. Such wrongheaded views are rapidly becoming mainstream principles of the new Democratic party of Obama-Clinton-Sanders. And it’s an alarming development that is being welcomed with open arms by a growing number of Democrat leaders. Congresswoman Barbara Lee, a handpicked Hillary Clinton representative to the DNC Platform Committee, joined Congressman Ellison in urging the Obama administration to pressure Israel to allow increased humanitarian relief into the Gaza Strip for Palestinians. Not only has the need for humanitarian relief to Gaza proven overblown, most of the so-called relief that has been sent to Gaza has been used by Hamas to construct “terror tunnels” for
planned military infiltrations into Israel proper. Congresswoman Lee also railed against a resolution condemning the 2009 U.N. report on
But that was then. Today, the prevalence of these dangerous anti-Israel voices in the Democratic Party led by President Obama, Hil-
He has published claims that the “U.S. supported Israeli slaughters of innocent civilians,” and describes Gaza … as “not just a ‘kind of’ concentration camp, it is the hood on steroids.”
the war, reviled by the mainstream pro-Israel community as a slanderous distortion of actual events. Rounding out this unholy cast of career Israel bashers on the committee is Wendy Sherman, who helped negotiate both the Iran and North Korean nuclear deals. As one national media editorial page wrote, “[w]ith that background, one would be forgiven for fearing that the result of these negotiations will be a DNC platform resembling the Hamas charter.” The partisan gap over Israel remains wide. Non-partisan Pew Research Center conducted recent surveys showing “three-quarters of Republicans say they sympathize more with Israel…[while] just 7% say they sympathize with the Palestinians.” The margin is enormously narrower with Democrats: 34% of those surveyed sympathize more with Israel while 33% side with Palestine. Unfortunately, this isn’t in the old Democratic Party…it’s today’s Democratic Party. Even in the 1940s, President Harry S Truman, a Democrat, knew it was right to recognize Israel’s right to exist – and stand up for the new Jewish State – despite fierce opposition from his own State Department, including Secretary of State George C. Marshall, as well as former President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s advisors, such as Isaiah Bowman. But “Give ‘em Hell Harry” Truman never backed down from doing what was right.
lary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is not only disconcerting, but more disturbing than ever before, especially as they gain influence. We should all be gravely concerned that these are the voices writing the platform and setting the Democrat agenda for the next four years.
Destinations
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All this evidence leaves one great impression on voters’ minds: Hillary Clinton and Democrats have much to explain on Israel. What is their real position? How can we trust them? Why are they allowing anti-Israel zealots to hijack their agenda-setting platform committee? Secretary Clinton, Senator Sanders and the Democratic National Committee should know that in government and politics, rhetoric only gets you so far in the face of insurmountable facts.
Anthony J. Santino is the Hempstead Town Supervisor. He was elected on the Republican, Conservative, Independence, and Tax Revolt lines with over 60% of the vote in November 2015. A staunch supporter of Israel, Santino previously represented the Five Towns on the Town Board; he was the longest serving Hempstead Town Councilman of the modern era.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home OCTOBER 29, 2015 | The Jewish Home
TJH 1.
A. George W. Bush
2. I may not have been the greatest president, but I’ve had the most fun eight years.
B. Ronald Reagan
3. I am only an average man but, by George, I work harder at it than the average man.
C. Teddy Roosevelt D. Richard Nixon E. Gerald Ford F. Barry Goldwater
4. If Lincoln were alive today, he’d be turning over in his grave.
G. George Bush, Sr.
5. Let’s not talk so much about vice. I’m against vice in any form.
I.
6. I am not one who — who flamboyantly believes in throwing a lot of words around.
John Kennedy
J. Dan Quale K. Abraham Lincoln L. Joe Biden
If you don’t mind smelling like peanut butter for two or three days, peanut butter is darn good shaving cream.
2-H 1-J Answer Key
12. Look, John’s last-minute economic plan does nothing to tackle the number one job facing the middle class, and it happens to be … a threeletter word: jobs. J-O-B-S, jobs.
3-C
11. Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.
4-E
10. So long as I’m the president, my measure of success is victory – and success.
5-I
9. I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of national emergency – even if I’m in a Cabinet meeting.
6-G
8. You don’t know how to lie. If you can’t lie, you’ll never go anywhere.
7-F
7.
H. Bill Clinton
8-D
A woman in a hot air balloon realizes she is lost. She lowers her altitude and spots a man fishing from a boat below. She shouts to him, “Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don’t know where I am.” The man consults his portable GPS and replies, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.” She rolls her eyes and says, “You must be a Republican!” “I am,” replies the man. “How did you know?” “Well,” answers the balloonist, “everything you tell me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I’m still lost. Frankly, you’re not much help to me.” The man smiles and responds, “You must be a Democrat.” “I am,” replies the balloonist. “How did you know?” “Well,” says the man, “You don’t know where you are or where you’re going. You’ve risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and now you expect me to solve your problem. You’re in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it’s my fault.”
The future will be better tomorrow.
9-B
kidding
Political Speak: Who Said It?
10-A
!
You gotta be
Centerfold
11- K
1.
12-L
54 24
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016 The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
1. In which year were political conventions first covered on TV? a. 1936 b. 1948 c. 1952 d. 1968
b. 2PM c. 4PM d. 3AM
2. The Democratic convention in New York in 1924 was the longest in history. How long was it? a. 6 days b. 8 days c. 9 days d. 17 days 3. Only two men have been nominated for their party’s presidential ticket on five occasions. Who were they? a. Richard Nixon / Franklin D Roosevelt b. Franklin D. Roosevelt / George Washington c. Herbert Hoover / Calvin Coolidge d. Theodore Roosevelt / John Adams 4. At the 1972 Democratic convention, nominee George McGovern delivered his acceptance speech, titled “Come Home America,” at what time? a. 10AM
?
Riddle me
5. Which city has hosted the most political conventions? a. New York b. Chicago c. Philadelphia d. Baltimore 6. During an appearance at the 2012 Republican National Convention, actor Clint Eastwood chose to have an imaginary conversation with President Barack Obama – represented onstage by what? a. A cardboard cutout b. A mannequin c. An empty chair d. A large photo 7. Which third-party held the first presidential nominating convention in American history? a. Free-Soil b. Libertarians c. Anti-Mason d. Liberal Answers 1. B 2. D- It took the Democrats 103 ballots and 16 sweaty days to select
a nominee. (Now that’s a decisive bunch.) 3. A- Franklin Roosevelt (VP 1920; President 1932, 1936, 1940, 1944) and Richard Nixon (VP 1952 and 1956; President 1960, 1968, and 1972) 4. D- Due to a lack of organization and a vice presidential roll call that lasted into the night, McGovern did not begin his acceptance speech until 3AM. (Hey McGovern, how can you McGovern if you can’t McRun your convention properly?) 5. B- To date, Chicago has hosted 25 political conventions 6. C 7. C Wisdom key 7-8 Correct: You are a complete wonk. How many pairs of beige Dockers do you own? 3-6 Correct: You are right in the middle. You are probably one of those wish-washy independents… “Be careful; the independents don’t like this…they don’t like that…uh oh, the independents are going to be upset about the color of your tie…” 0-2 Correct: You know nothing about political conventions. Okay, Donald, please tell me what you have planned for next week.
this?
What was the president of the United States’ name in 1980? See answer below Answer to riddle: Barack Obama
*
Political Convention Trivia
55 25
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Torah Thought
Parshat Chukat By Rabbi Berel Wein
the Land of Israel. The Torah itself ascribes this punishment to the fact that Moshe smote the rock to bring forth water for the people instead of speaking to the rock. Though this reason is emphasized a number of times in the Torah, the great thinkers and commentators of the Jewish people over the ages have searched for a deeper understanding of the cause that led to Moshe’s ultimate fate.
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Maimonides saw it in terms of a cumulative effect of incidents – albeit individually, perhaps not of major consequence – where Moshe was guilty of anger and of not fulfilling G-d’s will in exactitude. Other thinkers and commentators placed blame not so much on Moshe himself but rather on the circumstances of his leadership and relationship to that generation of Jews, those that now would have to enter the Land of Israel, conquer and settle it. For various reasons, among them the awe and reverence that this new generation would grant to Moshe would border on the cult of personality, if not even idolatry he would no longer be treated as a human being, but would be elevated to the status of a deity. If nothing else Judaism is certainly an iconoclastic faith where human beings, no matter how great and holy they may be, remain human beings. However we view what the ultimate cause of Moshe’s fate was – some even attributing it to his being prone to anger – the pathos of the situation is inescapable, even to us removed from the event by many millennia. Reaching and living in the Promised Land was the goal that he had striven for his entire lifetime. That it was denied to him on the threshold of the entry of the Jewish people into their promised homeland, makes the event doubly sad and emotionally disturbing. We all sympathize with our great leader and teacher but there is a great lesson of faith taught to us by the narrative of this incident. Human beings always attempt to ascribe simple and uncomplicated
motives to human behavior, and even have the arrogance to do so regarding G-d as well. Upon reflection we can all recognize that there are many different factors and motives, causes and effects, which influence our choices in life and our
Upon reflection we can all recognize that there are many different factors and motives, causes and effects, which influence our choices in life and our behavior.
behavior. But we are always hard-pressed to pull all the strings together and truly analyze our motives. It is only our Creator, Who, so to speak, sees the whole picture, knows all of the inner workings of the human psyche and soul and is able to judge correctly all of the issues involved in human behavior. This may be the ultimate reason why we are commanded to accept G-d’s judgment in all matters, even when it is beyond our rational understanding. Shabbat shalom.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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The Observant Jew
Get Found in the Minutiae By Rabbi Jonathan Gewirtz
D
on’t sweat the small stuff, they say. It’s as axiomatic as not being able to see the forest for the trees. What both of these sayings have in common is that they encourage people to overlook the little things in life and focus on the big picture. Just as a person looking at a digital photo won’t understand the image if he’s staring at the tiny pixelated dots, when we focus on all the tiny details of life it’s easy to miss how those details come together to form a greater situation. In the grand scheme of things, small difficulties seem to make sense as integral parts of the larger development, which they don’t if viewed on their own. However, this time I’d like to suggest focusing on the details. It can be very important in some ways, so let’s get started. As many of you know, my columns appear in various magazines across North America. My local magazine also usually includes an excerpt from one of R’ Paysach Krohn’s fantastic Maggid series. My wife likes both of these items (no word on which one she likes more) so I try to make sure we have it
in the house before Shabbos. In fact, I make an effort to pick it up before we travel so we have it with us. One such week, we took a rare trip to my sister’s home for Shabbos. We slept in what used to be my grandparents’ apartment, at least it was when they were alive and lived with her. It was there that I read a story R’ Paysach had penned about “Avraham Zev Ganberg,” the fictional name of a real young man whose tefillin had been stolen. In the story, they were found by someone who wondered how he could track down the owner of the tefillin based only on the initials embroidered on the bag: Alef Zayin Gimmel. When I read that, I got a chill. Not because I was nervous the tefillin would not be returned. Come on, this is a Jewish story – of course, it will have a happy ending! The reason I got a chill was because I knew someone whose tefillin bag was embroidered with the same three initials: my grandfather, R’ Abba Zalka Gewirtz z”l, in whose home I was reading the story! It was more than a coincidence. I began to think of all the factors that had to fall into place for this to happen.
First of all, I had brought the magazine with us on this trip. Second, the story that was printed “just happened” to be the one it was. They prepare stories months in advance and this one actually should have been published earlier if not for some mix-up, the publisher told me happened which delayed it. On top of that, R’ Paysach Krohn, in choosing a fictitious name for his protagonist perhaps decades ago, chose one that matched my grandfather’s initials, and the bag which had been embroidered with my Zaidy’s initials was probably done years before that! When I took the time to think of all the things that had to come together for me to get that little nod from Hashem that He’s running the world and everything in my life down to where I was and what I was reading, I was humbled, inspired, and felt very, very loved. I recognized that in these details Hashem showed His mastery of time and space. It showed me His perfect tapestry coming together line by line with all the artistry of a master craftsman. With everything coalescing, I felt at peace, knowing that
Hashem is in control and He loves me. When 13-year old Hallel Ariel Hy”d of Kiryat Arba was murdered by an Arab terrorist, it was the 24th day of Sivan. As someone pointed out to me (thanks Yitzie!),
Hashem more clearly than ever, and perhaps find yourself more connected than ever before.
Jonathan Gewirtz is an inspirational writer and speaker
It showed me His perfect tapestry coming together line by line with all the artistry of a master craftsman.
those who follow the schedule of Tehillim over a 30-day cycle would note that the psalms read on the 24th day of the month are those which make up the Hallel we say on holidays. This small detail is not a coincidence, but an interaction with Hashem, reminding us that He is in control. When you reflect upon the Divine involvement in even the most seemingly mundane or meaningless aspects of life, you will be able to see
whose work has appeared in publications around the world. You can find him at www.facebook.com/RabbiGewirtz, and follow him on Instagram @ RabbiGewirtz or Twitter @ RabbiJGewirtz. He also operates JewishSpeechWriter. com, where you can order a custom-made speech for your next special occasion. Sign up for the Migdal Ohr, his weekly PDF Dvar Torah in English. E-mail info@JewishSpeech Writer.com and put Subscribe in the subject.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Between the Lines
No Worries
By Eytan Kobre
Worrying is like paying on a debt that may never come due. - Will Rodgers
T
he people of Chelm could not help but worry incessantly about anything and everything, so they convened a town meeting to mull over the problem and brainstorm potential solutions. After much deliberation, they appointed Yossel, the town cobbler, to worry on behalf of the entire community. In return, Yossel would be paid a weekly salary of 5 rubles. Just then, an elderly woman piped up. “Hold on a second! If Yossel earns 5 rubles a week, what could he possibly worry about?” We Jews are worriers. If there is something to worry about, we’re on it. Now, as a people, we’ve had good reason to worry over the years – history has made sure of that. But too often we obsess and worry about things that will never come to pass.
After mourning the passing of Miriam and Aharon, the Jewish people complained that they had “no bread and no water” (Bamidbar 21:5). Now, that’s a rather strange complaint since, in fact, they had ample water from Miriam’s well and received the manna on a daily basis. Of all things, there was no need to complain about a lack of bread and water. The commentaries explain that they had sufficient bread and water; they simply worried that they would not have water and bread in the future (Mincha Belula, Bamidbar 21:5). They epitomized the faithless worrywart “who has bread in his basket yet asks what they will eat tomorrow” (Sota 48b). Some worry, such as for spiritual matters, can be good (Orchos Tzaddikim, Gate of Worry; Tehillim 38:19; Sanhedrin 106b). Indeed, only one who worries is privileged to be permitted to study certain mystical parts of the Torah (Chagiga 13a). Only the cynical Alfred E. Neuman, fictitious mascot of Mad Magazine, flippantly discounted all worry in mocking, “What, me worry?”
But, most often, worry is toxic. It essentially belies trust in G-d; after all, one who truly trusts in G-d has no cause for worry (Chovos HaLevavos, Sha’ar HaBitachon; Michtav M’Eliyahu, vol. 2, pg. 262 and vol. 5, pg. 90). “Worry over attaining anything in this world is extremely reprehensible” and it “erodes the heart and [is a] sickness of the body” (Orchos Tzaddikim, Gate Ten: The Gate of Worry). Worry is one of three things that sap one’s strength (Rashi, Gittin 70a; Menachos 103b), and it “kills even the most heroic people” (Sanhedrin 100b). R’ Yisrael Salanter was spot-on when he cautioned that “all worrying is forbidden except worrying about being worried” (Tnu’as HaMussar, vol. 1, pg. 303). He was accustomed to pray each morning at the same time and in the same shul. When he failed to show for davening one day, his worried students went to his house, where they were told that he had left that morning at his usual time. This, of course, worried the students even more. Some stayed in town to pray for the welfare
of the beloved R’ Yisrael, while others formed search parties and fanned out in all directions to find him. Around midday, one of the search parties found R’ Yisrael deep in the forest, still wrapped in tallis and tefillin, sitting on a tree stump. Overjoyed that their teacher was safe and sound, the students broke out into song and dance. They explained that everyone in town was greatly worried by his disappearance. But before the students could finish their account, R’ Yisrael took off in the direction of the town. None of the much younger students could keep up with him until they arrived back in town. “Rebbi, why did you run so fast?” they asked, still out of breath. “I went to the forest to spend time contemplating and improving my actions. But when you told me that people still were worried about me, I ran as fast as I could to ensure that no one worried for a moment longer than necessary.” That speaks volumes about how harmful worry can be.
But for all its deleterious effects (and there are many), worry is entirely illusory. It is self-inflicted. It accomplishes nothing. And what we worry about rarely materializes. Before we can hope to conquer worry, we must acknowledge the role we play in creating and perpetuating it. “If there is worry in a man’s heart, he should suppress it” (Mishlei 12:25) – i.e., he should simply push it out of his mind or tell it to another person who will debunk it as nothing more than a figment of imagination (Yoma 75a). We control worry. We create it. We can dismiss it. And we can consciously choose to suppress it. The Kotzker Rebbe’s sonin-law, R’ Avrohom Borenstein (the Sochatchover Rebbe), lived in dire poverty but never seemed concerned with his plight. When asked why he was not worried about his extreme poverty, the Sochatchover explained, “Truthfully, I worry just like the next person. But, as you know, the Kotzker Rebbe took me as a son-in-law because of my brilliance. What takes others a day to contem-
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
plate, I can think through in minutes. So while others spend their entire day worrying, I spend a few mo-
you nowhere.” R’ Yechiel Michal of Zlotchov put it this way: “There are two things it is forbidden to worry about:
What takes others a day to contemplate, I can think through in minutes. So while others spend their entire day worrying, I spend a few moments doing so.
ments doing so. Then I stop worrying.” Worry also accomplishes nothing. “Worrying is like a rocking chair,” observed New Zealand cricketer Glenn Turner. “It gives you something to do, but it gets
that which it is possible to fix, and that which it is impossible to fix. What can be fixed, fix and don’t worry; what cannot be fixed, how will it help to worry?” Worry is pointless. It fails to achieve its putative aim
– making tomorrow better – and it makes today much worse (Michtav M’Eliyahu, vol. 5, pg. 72). “The past is over, the future does not yet exist, and the present is like the blink of an eye. So why worry?” (Pele Yo’etz, Da’aga). It is said that when R’ Elya Lopian waited for a bus, he would not turn to see whether the bus was coming. He explained that there was no purpose in doing so – his looking would not affect when the bus would arrive. Instead, he remained calm until the bus arrived. And perhaps most reassuring is that what we worry about likely will never come to pass. “Don’t be worried over tomorrow’s troubles, because you know not what the day will bring. Perhaps tomorrow will come, and not [the troubles], and you will
have worried over a fate not yours” (Sanhedrin 100b; Yevamos 63b). Winston Churchill echoed this sentiment when he observed, “When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened.” Once, shortly before a major concert, a member of Arturo Toscanini’s orchestra approached the great Italian conductor in sheer terror. “M-m-m-maestro,” the musician stuttered, “my instrument is not working. I cannot play an E-flat note. We are to begin in a few moments. What will I do?” Toscanini placed an arm around the man’s shoulders. “My dear friend,” he calmed, “there is no need for worry.
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There is not a single E-flat in the music you are playing tonight.” As toxic as worry may be, it is entirely within our control. We create it. We can destroy it. We can suppress it. We can ignore it. And, above all, we have the power to reassure ourselves that what we worry about will likely never materialize. This Scottish people have reduced this to a simple maxim: “What may be, may not be.” Because occasionally life throws you an E-flat. But usually it doesn’t.
Eytan Kobre is a writer, speaker, mediator, and attorney living in Kew Gardens Hills. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail eakobre@ outlook.com.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
My Israel Home
Bat Yam A Gentrification Case Study By Gedaliah Borvick
A
little over ten years ago, while attending a real estate event in Manhattan, a significant developer pulled me aside and handed me a paper written by an Ivy League professor. The professor and his students in the urban planning class went on a field trip to Israel to study Bat Yam, a rundown suburb of Tel Aviv and Yaffo situated along the Mediterranean Sea, and created a comprehensive plan to overhaul this tired city into a thriving metropolis. I found the study fascinating and thought that this was an exciting opportunity for an investor with vision. However, having just made aliyah and still working in New York real estate, I did not give this study a second thought and soon forgot about it altogether. Fast forward to 2016 and one can see the actualization of this professor’s dream. Bat Yam was established in 1926, and grew dramati-
cally after the State of Israel’s establishment, as it became a landing place for many immigrants who flooded the country. Today, the city’s population is over 130,000 residents. In the early 2000s, the city was on the brink of bankruptcy, due to a series of financial scandals and government mismanagement. Its crime rate was high, its infrastructure was neglected, the streets and parks were dirty and unkempt; basically, the city was a financial and physical mess. In 2003, the city’s fortunes started its reversal with the induction of a new mayor, Shlomo Lahiani. He was so effective that he won re-election in 2008 with an unprecedented 86% of the vote. Unfortunately, in 2014 Lahiani pled guilty to breach of public trust after being charged with bribery and income tax fraud. It’s a shame he tarnished his name because, putting aside his legal
offenses, Lahiani literally and figuratively cleaned up the city. The city’s infrastructure has been upgraded, the streets and parks are clean, crime has dropped significantly, and its demographics have dramatically improved. How has Bat Yam been so successful in improving its image and, in turn, its fortunes? First of all, as the name implies, the city is located along the seashore, and sea views have always been in great demand. Second, it is in a great location, situated less than 6 miles from the center of Tel Aviv. Third, unlike most of the cities along the seashore, vacant plots of land were available for development. And fourth, because of its checkered past, real estate prices were significantly lower than Tel Aviv and other seaside cities, making housing attractive to young professionals just starting out. Initially, this opportunity to purchase homes boasting
sea views was better understood by overseas buyers, including many from France. Unlike the old-time Israelis, they didn’t have negative associations with the city and were able to envision the city’s bright future. However, over the past half decade, Bat Yam has also become popular with Israelis who overcame their earlier concerns and have moved into the city. Situated so close to Tel Aviv, Bat Yam offers its residents excellent access to most of the country’s business hubs and has attracted many people looking for a relatively short commute to work. In 2011, two new railway stations along the Tel Aviv-Rishon Letzion line opened in Bat Yam. Furthermore, Bat Yam will be the last stop on the Tel Aviv Light Rail’s Red Line that is currently under construction, with a completion date of 2021. The heart of Bat-Yam
is its magnificent two-mile long promenade, which overlooks the sea. The promenade offers many fun activities, and boasts beautiful parks, cafes, pubs, restaurants, shops and hotels. The city has nine lovely beaches which are very popular with the beach-going crowds. One of these beaches offers separate bathing days for men and women. Bat Yam’s housing prices are still considered inexpensive compared to Tel Aviv, Herzliya, Netanya and other established seaside towns, but as demand continues to grow, pricing is catching up quickly.
Gedaliah Borvick is the founder of My Israel Home (www. myisraelhome.com), a real estate agency focused on helping people from abroad buy and sell homes in Israel. To sign up for his monthly market updates, contact him at gborvick@gmail. com.
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All Eyes on Cleveland Republicans Gear up for an Unconventional Convention By Susan Schwamm
Finally, after what has been perhaps the oddest year in our nation’s political history, the Republican National Convention where they will nominate Donald Trump is set to take place on Monday, July 18 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. As if the political events of the last year were not enough to place the convention in unchartered territory, the events of the past two weeks only heighten the unknown. But
this wouldn’t be the first political convention to feature political fireworks or even riots, as some think may take place next week. Yes, political conventions are usually boring political establishment coronations where politicos spend three days fawning over themselves. But when such conventions veer from the ordinary, they can become quit raucous and compelling and even historic in their own right.
Chicago Riots of 1968
the country’s tense mood: on April 4, civil rights leader Martin Luther King was assassinated; and on June 5, Democratic presidential candidate Robert Kennedy was assassinated in California when he was just 56 delegates shy of clinching his party’s nomination.
The ghost of 1968, when the Democratic National Convention in Chicago turned riotous, lingers over this convention like few before it. Despite the current Black Lives Matter protests, the current national level of anxiety pales in comparison with
the mood in the lead up to that convention in 1968. The protests then were mainly in opposition to the Vietnam War, which by then had already dragged on for thirteen long years. Additionally, in the months before the convention, there had been national tragedies which contributed to
President Lyndon B. Johnson, who was the sitting Democrat president, was not seeking reelection due to the unpopular Vietnam War, which had eroded his popularity. However, he still loomed large over the convention since his vice president Hubert Humphrey came to the con-
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Riots outside the Democratic convention in 1968
vention with the most delegates, beating out Sen. Eugene McCarthy (D-WI) and Sen. George McGovern (D-SD) who were the anti-war candidates. Humphrey had not ran a campaign to obtain his delegates, rather he secured them through obtaining the support of the party establishment, thus stoking the flames of the anti-war faction of the Democrat Party. Those flames were further stoked when Humphrey announced just days before the convention that he supported Johnson’s Vietnam War policies. When the convention got underway, the delegations from 15 states tried to unseat Humphrey’s delegates. Meanwhile, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a powerful voice in Democrat politics, tried to get Ted Kennedy to run for the nomination. When it came to clarifying the party’s platform, a tense battle broke out over the Vietnam War. The shouting matches proceeded each night until the wee hours of the morning. Ultimately, Humphrey prevailed on both fronts – he got the nomination and the convention platform supported the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, the chaos outside of the convention hall mirrored the raucous atmosphere inside. Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters, who were regulated to specifically designed protest areas, repeatedly tried making their way to the convention site in what became known
Gerald Ford looks on as Ronald Reagan delivers a rousing address
as the “Battle of Michigan Avenue.” Mayor Daley deployed 12,000 police officers and called in another 15,000 state and federal officers to contain the protesters. The riots were watched by millions across the United States who in those early days of news television were glued to
Carter and Kennedy shake hands at the 1980 convention
place for the heart and soul of the Republican Party. On one side of the battle stood President Gerald Ford, who had never been elected to the presidency but took over when Nixon resigned, and his fellow establishment Republicans. On the other side stood a charismatic
After conceding victory to Carter, Kennedy declared in a roaring voice, “The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.”
their sets, watching the unfolding riots live. The Democrat Party limped away from the 1968 convention divided and humiliated, while their collective opponent, Republican nominee Richard Nixon, went on to win the presidential election.
Reagan Takes on Ford
Although the Republican convention in 1976 did not feature mass riots outside of the convention center like the Democratic convention had less than ten years earlier, inside of Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, a mega battle took
actor-turned-governor of California, Ronald Reagan, and his army of “conservatives.” They were the outsiders who sought to shake up the regular order within the party. As both candidates arrived at the convention, neither had enough delegates to clinch the nomination. The on-the-ground convention battle actually began three days before the convention began, when both candidates uncharacteristically showed up early to sway delegates. Ultimately, Ford won the nomination by a measly 117 delegates. After securing the nomination and giving his acceptance
speech, Ford called for Reagan to join him on the stage. This was necessary to unify the party. After a few minutes, Reagan appeared on the platform. Without the use of a script or teleprompter, Reagan gave a now-historical speech which captured the audience in the arena and the tens of millions watching on TV. Although it was meant to unify the party, and it technically did, the unintended consequence – or perhaps it was intended – was that it gave many delegates buyer’s remorse, since it was far superior to the speech that Ford had given when accepting nomination. Ford went on to lose that year’s election to Democrat Jimmy Carter, while Ronald Reagan went quietly to wait in the wings.
Ted Kennedy’s Failed Coup
Just four years later, the script was switched when the Democrat convention featured a nearly identical situation to the Republican’s 1976 convention. Massachusetts senator and surviving Kennedy brother Ted Kennedy brazenly primaried his party’s sitting president, Jimmy Carter. Although he came up short and Carter entered the convention with the requisite number of delegates to clinch the nomination, Kennedy did not give up. He attempted to change the convention rules to enable Carter-bound delegates
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to switch their support to his candidacy. After a bitter convention floor debate, Kennedy’s coup failed and Carter clinched the nomination. In a “show of unity,” Kennedy threw his support behind Carter during his speech at the convention. However, Kennedy’s speech was seen more as an effort to secure the Kennedy family legacy rather than to promote Carter. After conceding victory to Carter, Kennedy declared in a roaring voice, “The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.” Upon the conclusion of his speech he refused to engage in the pomp and circumstance of normal convention showcasing. Rather than the clasped-fistsin-the-air that is emblematic of political allies, Kennedy merely gave Carter a perfunctory handshake. Carter later wrote in his memoir that although Kennedy appeared with him on stage in a show of unity, his apparent lack of enthusiasm “indicated that the split in our ranks had not been healed.” Carter lost the election that year to Ronald Reagan, who had come out of his short-lived political retirement.
The past few months have certainly been entertaining. With Trump as the Republican nominee, one would think that a convention starring the Donald would be just as entertaining.
But although the candidate has increased ratings at any event he’s held, he’s also seen as a divisive candidate who has consistently garnered criticism in his wake. So what will we see as we livestream it on Twitter on Monday? Will we be wowed by the pomp and circumstance at the convention? Or will be embarrassed by his trite, spiteful soundbites?
make waves in Cleveland. However, that does not mean that there will be unity. Although the lack of unity may not be apparent, the glaring absences of many key party players may ring a bell as loud as red faced delegates screaming at each other across the floor. The only two living former Republican presidents, George H. W. Bush and his son George
“I think it would be better if it were unified, I think it would be – there would be something good about it. But I don’t think it actually has to be unified in the traditional sense.” There’s only a few days away, so we won’t be kept in suspense for too long. Here is what we can expect, so far, from the Republican National Convention next week.
Noted Absences at Convention
If prior conventions provide any clues, it is that the death knell for a party’s hopes of capturing the White House is lack of unity at their nominating conventions. Although just several months ago many thought that the Republican convention would be contested, the Never Trump Movement never really gained steam and is unlikely to
W. Bush, will not be attending the convention. The two made their plans known after Trump manhandled Jeb Bush during the primaries. The last two Republican nominees for president, Mitt Romney and Sen. John McCain, also will not be attending the convention. In addition, many Republican members of Congress have announced that they will not be attending the convention. Trump has professed that if the Republican Party does not get behind him, he is willing to go it alone. “Does [the party] have to be unified? I’m very different than everybody else, perhaps, that’s ever run for office. I
actually don’t think so,” Trump pondered several months ago. “I think it would be better if it were unified, I think it would be – there would be something good about it. But I don’t think it actually has to be unified in the traditional sense.” Even so, that is likely a defense mechanism – even Trump likely realizes that it would be horrible optics if he was left hung out to dry at the convention.
Trump Rallies/Riles Capitol Hill Republicans
Thus the presumptive nominee made one last trip to Capitol Hill last week to convince the weary establishment Republican members of Congress to join him at their party’s convention. Trump met with approximately 200 Republican members of the House of Representatives. He took around 30 questions and stressed the importance of Republicans standing together. “It would great if you could say, ‘We had an unbelievable meeting. Trump loves us. We love Trump,’” implored the candidate, noting that the reporters outside will want to know how the meeting went. According to those in attendance, the meeting went well, although Trump certainly needs to brush up on his knowledge of the Constitution. When he was asked whether he will support Article I of the Constitution, which addresses Congress’ legislative powers, Trump replied, “I am a constitutionalist. I am
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going to abide by the Constitution whether it’s number 1, number 2, number 12, number 9.” The Constitution is comprised of seven Articles. Trump also met with 41 Republican senators. There certainly were fireworks in that meeting. According to reports of the closed door meeting, Trump and Arizona Senator Jeff Flake got into a spat after Flake introduced himself to Trump and Trump replied, “You’ve been very critical of me.” Flake then said, “Yes, I’m the other senator from Arizona — the one who didn’t get captured — and I want to talk to you about statements like that,” referencing Trump’s comments from several months ago that Sen. John McCain (RAZ) is not a war hero because he was captured. Trump also referred to Illinois Senator Mark Kirk, a fellow Republican who had previously denounced Trump and did not attend the meeting, as “a loser.” Trump’s campaign manager Paul Manafort said in a statement, “The conversation was very positive and substantive. The Members were in total agreement with Mr. Trump of the need to unite the party.” The question now is will they show up on July 18, and if so, will it be a proverbial perfunctory handshake or will it be a
clasped fists-in-the-air, let’sbeat-Hillary endorsement.
A Showman’s Convention
Believe it or not, of all people, it was the ever-dour Richard Nixon who first gave a political convention its infomercial-like atmosphere that they now have. In 1972, Nixon was introduced at his party’s convention by entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., as a crowd of young people were propped, as if serendipitously, on the stage. Since then conventions have featured entertainment, some suspense (who will be the vice presidential nominee), and standard political showbiz. Trump is far more advanced than Nixon at marketing and he will not shy away from the infomercial aspect of the convention. Even if he does not win the presidency, a consolation prize for the real estate and licensing mogul will certainly be the personal branding opportunity. During the primaries he was not bashful about showcasing his personal business interests and at times gave press conferences with Trump Steaks, Trump Water, Trump Ties and other items neatly stacked up beside the podium. Even so, to date, very few details about the convention plans
have been disclosed. Trump had promised to release a list of speakers by July 7 th, but he has failed to do so. The only information he has given on the topic came at a rally when he said, “My children are all gonna be speaking – Ivanka, Tiffany, Don, Eric ... my wife ... they’re gonna be speaking.” And I’m sure we’ll hear from the Donald as well. To some, the lack of pre-convention hyping by the king of hype indicates that Trump is having a hard time pulling together a compelling lineup of politicians and entertainers who are willing to go to bat for him. A high level Trump campaign source told Politico several months ago that there were grand plans for the convention. “This is the part of politics he would naturally enjoy, and he wants to control it 100 percent,” said the person, echoing many other statements from within the Trump campaign about the pending convention. “This is a massive television production, and he is a television star.” Yet those plans may have fizzled. Trump recently told The New York Times that “there’s a lot of sameness in conventions” and that “you don’t necessarily want to reinvent the wheel.” These statements indicate an attempt by Trump to walk back the grand expectations set by
his campaign. Although a lessthan-flashy convention is normally not a net-negative and can actually be seen as reflecting a “presidential tone,” a lackluster convention would be exhibit A for the many people who are already suspicious that Trump’s actions will not match his rhetoric. When the calendar flips to July 18, Cleveland will be flooded with blue suits and red ties. There will be the usual media frenzy and analysis of every speech by every pundit. But what will the Republican National Convention really be like? You’re guaranteed a few boring speeches (hey, Paul Ryan is speaking), a lot of handshakes and finger pointing, and lots of yammering about the GOP agenda. Some people will be shying away – “What’s there to celebrate?” one party strategist said – and others will head there just to hear the Donald. It’ll be three days of constant rhetoric in which Trump will be announced as the Republican candidate. But don’t be discouraged when the convention fades away. There’s only a few weeks to the Democratic convention – and we can’t wait to see the pantsuits that Hillary will be wearing as she clasps hands in fake harmony with Mr. Sanders.
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Dating Dialogue
What Would You Do If… Moderated by Jennifer Mann, LCSW of The Navidaters
Dear Navidaters,
I have a friend who is 35-years-old and is looking for a shidduch. She is bright, fun and a great girl all around. She doesn’t seem to get many dates, and as far as I can tell, the only trouble is,
she does not take care of herself. She smells (doesn’t wear deodorant, wears the same clothes without washing them), doesn’t wash her hair consistently, and has stains on her clothes. She also doesn’t dress well, but that’s not really the question. What can I do to help? She is really a great girl, but it’s possible that this is hampering her from finding a shidduch.
The feedback from our readers has been remarkable. In order to facilitate further discussion, you can now continue the conversation anonymously on our website. Every Sunday, we will upload the weekend’s most recent edition of What Would You Do If to the dating forum at thenavidaters.com. Join The Navidaters and your fellow TJH readers in a comprehensive dialogue with regard to dating, relationships and marriage. The forum will be moderated daily for everyone’s comfort and safety. See you there! Disclaimer: This column is not intended to diagnose or otherwise offer resolutions to any questions. Our intention is not to offer any definitive conclusions to any particular question, but to offer areas of exploration for the author and reader. Due to the nature of the column receiving only a short snapshot of an issue, without the benefit of an actual discussion, the panel’s role is to offer a range of possibilities. We hope to open up meaningful dialogue and individual exploration.
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The Panel
The Rebbetzin Rebbetzin Faigie Horowitz, M.S.
I
f the situation is as extreme as you describe, there is something deeper going on with the young lady you depict. The extreme extent of the self-neglect and the contrast with her fun, “normal” personality are red flags to me. There are probably serious mental health issues involved. Let us hope that the young woman is seeing a competent professional. Shidduchim are not her first priority right now. There is nothing for you to do at present unless you suspect that she is not getting help. If you see such serious red flags, her family members and friends do too and I would imagine that they have recommended help. A woman of this age makes her own decisions even if a rav or trusted family member/ friend suggests that she get help. It could be that she is not taking her medication even if she is in therapy. Your role at this point is to pray!
The Shadchan
She has to deal with the underlying issues first before even broaching the topic of marriage. One of the best perks of having family and friends, is that they brainstorm about shidduch ideas and help set up marriages. This invaluable practice goes back centuries! However, sometimes it’s necessary for a friend to take a step back and look at the whole picture. Imagine how you would feel if you were single and somebody set you up with a young man who smelled and had body odor, who looked dirty and disheveled? Once your friend is completely put-together from the basics of hygiene through the intricate tenets of self-worth, she can then think about becoming someone’s “other half.” I would suggest telling her nicely, but bluntly, what you believe is holding her back. Direct her to a life coach or professional who can help her with her underlying issues. This won’t be easy ... not for her and certainly not for you. Much hatzlacha!
The Mother Sarah Schwartz Schreiber
Michele Mond
B
efore even approaching the question of getting married, or even merely going out on a date, you must consider that you friend might be harboring something under the surface of which you’re not aware. At the age of 35, any normal single woman is well-versed in the basic necessities of showering, wearing deodorant and laundry. Additionally, it’s hard to imagine that others (such as parents, teachers) haven’t yet addressed with her the subject of personal hygiene, since a lack of hygiene affects so many aspect of life well before marriage (e.g. making friends, dorm, camp).
H
ygiene, and expected hygienic norms, are the kind of thing that we expect most people to have ironed out by the time they graduate high school. So how do we approach the one person who seems not to have gotten the memo? I suspect this is a bigger, deeper issue, one related to a depression, even a mild one. That said, you want to help your awesome office mate find her awesome soul mate. This is not easy, and the truth is you may not succeed. I believe the key here is you must enlist the help of her supervisor/boss. At the next staff meeting, have your boss devote five to ten min-
utes to staff dress code and expectations. She should emphasize the importance of clean freshly-washed clothes, daily showering and hair washing, getting a good haircut, wearing minimal makeup, and good shoes. She can offer suggestions regarding where to shop for less and even have a slideshow of what a professional looks like. (Yes, I know several bosses who have done this.) If that doesn’t work, your boss can meet with her privately to reiterate the rules. Unfortunately, most bosses hate bringing dress code up, and this idea may not work. But at the very least you’ll have tried to help.
Another Mother Miriam Stern
“I
t’s possible that this is hampering her finding a shidduch?” Really?! Your question reminds me of a lovely young woman who was friends with my daughter in high school. Everything about her seemed totally normal and wonderful, except that she had the worst b.o. imaginable! When she would come around to visit, her odor left well after she did. Surprisingly, she did ultimately marry and live a perfectly wonderful life, though I don’t know too many details about how, when or where. I’ve always told my children that “it’s not what you say, but how you say it.” With the right tone that is gentle and conveys kindness, caring and a sprinkle of humor, you can pretty much get away with saying just about anything, if the level of concern in present. So if you were my daughter, this is what I would suggest you do. One day, when you’re hanging out
A good friend knows when to be supportive, when to zip it, and when to speak up.
with this friend of yours, ask her if it would be alright if you made a pit stop at CVS, or some other drug store, because you need to pick up a few items. As you walk around the store, going from aisle to aisle and chatting about this and that, casually bring in conversations about some of the products you are purchasing. For instance, when you get to the deodorant aisle, as you’re examining various brands and appearing to be selecting the best one, you might say something like, “You know, I used to use this brand and had no idea it wasn’t working all that well for me until my mother pointed out that I needed something stronger. What brand do you use?” And see where that conversation goes, until ultimately you can say something like, “Can I tell you something? We women have to be so careful. Sometimes we don’t even realize we have an odor. I think you should try (this) brand. Between me and you, I hope you don’t mind me saying that the one you’re using is not all that great.” Next stop, the shampoo aisle. Again, in the middle of discussing the latest book you just read, you can casually pick up a brand of shampoo and say something like, “I have to be so careful with which shampoo I use. My hair is so delicate and breaks easily, but I find that if I don’t wash it daily, it looks oily and stringy. How often do you wash your hair?” Again,
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let the conversation flow naturally, without having a nervous, panicked look on your face, like you’re doing something illegal. Hopefully, this exercise will lead to other, meaningful talks. Maybe she’ll fall for it and maybe she won’t. Again, be gentle, kind, caring, helpful. If she gets what you are up to, and even gets a little insulted, I think that’s a small price to pay for hopefully gifting her with this very important wakeup call! After all – what are friends for?
The Single Irit Moshe difficult question, indeed, but being a good friend, you need to step in and take the girl out shopping and have some girl-togirl chat about the do’s and don’ts at this stage in her life and at her age. (Though, of course, it should have happened a long time ago!) Try to be tactful when discussing this matter, yet be direct as well. Encourage her to get her makeup done at a major department store
A
and while that is happening, incorporate a few good points about her hygiene in general, while trying to also build her self-confidence at the same time, pointing out some of her wonderful qualities. (For example, as the mascara goes on, you can say something like, “I had no idea you had such amazing, long lashes.”) Make her feel special and explain to her that classy but alluring is important in attracting and keeping the men in her life. Remind her that looking good will also make her feel good, while attracting good and attractive shidduch potentials. Tell her that as her friend, you wish to see her successful in her everyday life and
If you had a poppy seed stuck in your tooth, would you want your friend not tell you to avoid embarrassment?
love life and you would love to dance with her at her wedding someday. Be her mentor as you help her get in touch with the woman that you know she is inside. Good luck and most importantly, have fun!
Pulling It All Together The Navidaters Dating and Relationship Coaches and Therapists
I
f you had a poppy seed stuck in your tooth, would you rather your friend not tell you to avoid embarrassment, or would you rather she come right out with it and spare you the embarrassment of walking around all day with it in your teeth? I was recently in the park with a dear friend and some of our children, and she casually worked into the conversation, “Jen, something is stuck in your teeth.” Without hesitating, I thanked her, looked into her beautiful mirrored sunglasses and picked the poppy seed out. I know she isn’t going to end our friendship because something gross was stuck in between my teeth, and she knew that she could tell me because I wouldn’t be offended … on the contrary, I was grateful. The information you provide is limited, but I will say wholeheartedly that something is very off with this situation. I feel you may have withheld information, perhaps to protect your friend or perhaps be-
cause you don’t want to or do not know how to recognize things about your friend. I’m not sure. A thirty-five-year-old woman whose clothing is habitually stained and who has body odor and dirty nails is outside societal norms. I have never met your friend, but I would be remiss if I did not share my initial reaction: “Is this woman struggling with mental illness, i.e., depression, mania etc.” My second thought was, “Does this woman have some sort of cognitive impairment that isn’t being addressed properly?” You mention that she is “bright,” and “fun” and all around great person, but I do wonder if something deeper and more serious is driving her dress and hygiene. If you left out any important information about your friend, either purposely or inadvertently with regard to her mental well-being or cognitive functioning and she does indeed have an issue, then I would advise you to be in
touch with a family member of hers and alert them to this situation. Your friend may need more help than a pep talk and a walk down the shampoo aisle. I also have to wonder how you have managed to maintain a friendship with this woman. How have you managed to never say a word about her odor? Is it a friendship of equals, or a “chessed” type of relationship that you engage in because you feel badly for her? This is an important question for you to think about because it will give you more clarity as to why she may be struggling with her hygiene and shidduchim. And if I am completely missing the mark, and your friend is simply a wonderful, fun, bright, amazing woman who just happens need to get a clue when it comes to hygiene…. what can you do to help her? I think this situation needs a hero. Her coworkers and shadchanim have been tiptoeing around the elephant in the room (something I have a hard time believing, if I am being honest), which is that she is filthy and smells. Be a good
friend, and tell her you are concerned about her. Ultimately, you can’t control if she will make these changes. She has to make the connection that she is sabotaging her chance of meeting someone and getting married … and she has to care enough to do a hygiene overhaul. Tell her your thoughts in a loving way – hope for the best. A good friend knows when to be supportive, when to zip it, and when to speak up. And a good friendship can handle all three. I wonder if your friend may be struggling with something you know nothing about ... yet. It’s time to speak up. Sincerely, Jennifer
Esther Mann, LCSW and Jennifer Mann, LCSW are licensed, clinical psychotherapists and dating and relationship coaches working with individuals, couples and families in private practice in Hewlett, NY. To set up an appointment, please call 516.224.7779. Press 1 for Esther, 2 for Jennifer. If you would like to submit a dating or relationship question to the panel anonymously, please email the navidaters@gmail.com.
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THIS WEEK, WE’RE TALKING TO…
Camp Toras Chaim
Excitin Camp Fe g ature! BACK F O THIRD R A YEAR!
How are the Five Towns’ youngest residents spending their summer? Over the next few weeks, we’ll be speaking to different day camps to learn how their campers are spending their 12 weeks of summer vacation.
CAMP TORAS CHAIM HAS A GREAT REPUTATION FOR SPECIALIZING IN THE LITTLEST CAMPERS. THIS WEEK, WE SPOKE WITH CAMP DIRECTOR MRS. SORA KAMENETZKY ABOUT SOME OF THE EXCITING GOINGS-ON AT THE CUTEST CAMP ON THE SOUTH SHORE.
TJH: Mrs. Kamenetzky, thank you for taking the time to speak with us. Things must be busy for you these days. SK: The campers are having a great time in camp and we are keeping them very busy. Tell us about your campers. How old are they? Camp Toras Chaim is a preschool camp. The boys and girls in camp are 2 ½ to five-years-old. How do you keep these young campers comfortable? For some of them, it’s a really new experience in a “big boy” or “big girl” setting. Well, all of our teachers are preschool teachers during the year. They have a lot of love and devotion to young children, and we have a very high staff/camper ratio of 1:4
or 1:5 in every bunk, so there’s a lot of supervision and care. Our youngest bunk, our bunk for the 2 ½-year-olds, has the most amazing morah. She makes them feel so comfortable and is so warm. At the same time, she trains them to become very independent. It’s amazing to watch their transformation from the first day of camp to the last. They get their own snacks, set up lunch, and throw out their plates when they’re done. She is a preschool morah in Yeshiva of South Shore during the year. She is perfect for those campers. Do you work in a preschool during the year? I am actually a grade school morah – I’ve taught grades third through eighth. I started the camp because when I moved to Woodmere 28 years ago, there were no
camps for younger children. My first year starting the camp I had eight campers. Now, baruch Hashem, we have 150 campers and 7 bunks and kids from all over the Five Towns and Far Rockaway come here for camp. There are young boys and girls in your program. Do you see a different dynamic in play when young boys and girls are in the same bunks? Absolutely. There’s definitely a different dynamic when it’s an allboys bunk. I am a big fan of having boys and girls together when they’re young. It calms down the boys. Some boys are naturally more aggressive but when there are girls in the bunk, they learn how to be much softer and it makes for an easier group. We have one 5-year-old bunk this year with
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24 boys. But the teacher is really amazing with them. Sounds like the kids are really enjoying camp. Last year’s theme was “Double the Fun.” What’s this year’s theme? This year’s theme is “Roll with the Fun.” Every week is a different take-off on the idea of “roll.” The first week of camp was “rolling pins.” One day, we did a “beauty parlor.” The kids blow dried and put in rollers, and they made a box that they took home to put in yarmulkes or hair accessories. The next day, we had pony rides and played pin the tail on the pony. We also went on a trip to the bowling alley. This week is “rock and roll.” Yesterday, we did things for “wok and roll,” and we made Asian hats. We have dance teachers coming this week; we are making musical instruments. This theme sounds adorable! How do you come up with these ideas? When do you start thinking about camp? Camp is on my mind all year.
Around September, October time we pick a theme. Then, throughout the winter, we come up with a calendar and brainstorm different ideas. I do so much before camp starts – I set things up, prepare, do paperwork, do the ordering. The first few days of camp are hectic, but because I prepare in advance, things go smoothly b’ezras Hashem during the summer. I have a wonderful head counselor, Elisheva Siegelman, who helps to implement everything during the summer. What’s a typical day like in Camp Toras Chaim? A basic day starts with free play and then circle time. During circle time, there’s davening and they talk about the theme of the day. It’s very cute. The kids are very involved and check the calendar at home to see what’s going to be happening at camp that day. Snack time is a fruit or vegetable and a water bottle that they bring from home. We provide lunch and the afternoon snack, which is cereal and milk. Cereal and milk? I love that! The kids like it too. After morning snack, there’s
first activity. Our activities include swim, outdoor playground, sports, gym, arts and crafts, and a ball pit; we have music and special programs for each bunk. Sometimes there are different shows. For example, tomorrow the Fun Bus is coming. We had a bubble show the second day of camp. And we’re having a balloon show next week. That’s a great show. The performer sets up props and costumes for the kids and everything is made out of balloons. Next week we are going to Funstation. That’s very exciting. Every Friday, each bunk does a special Shabbos performance. They dress up, make costumes, and sing songs with hand motions. We also make a special Shabbos treat each week. Last week we made delicious cinnamon rolls. The week before we made American flag cakes. You’re keeping your campers busy! What’s the cutest thing a camper has said this summer? They’re all really cute. I usually go around the room every day to say hi. I get to know the kids by name and I talk to the teachers. My summer is spent with fun, cute kids and we all have a great time!
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By the Numbers...
1:
They were here first! Camp Toras Chaim was the first preschool camp in the Five Towns
2 ½:
Age of the youngest campers in Camp Toras Chaim
7:
Smiling bunks
26:
Summers that Camp Toras Chaim has been giving preschoolers fun
39:
Theme-filled days of fun
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The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
Parenting Today
10 Super Strategies to Strengthen Preschoolers’ Skills through the Summer by Elana Fertig
1.
READ: Read to your child, with your child. Have your child look at books, if they are not ready to read yet. Ask your child questions: What is the name of the boy in the story? Where did he go? What did he like?
2.
EYE CONTACT: Remind your child to look you and other people in their eyes (especially when talking). Ask your child what color different people’s eyes are so they take the time to look and notice.
3.
SWIM: Swimming is a great skill to strengthen core muscles, focusing, hand-eye coordination, gross motor skill and fine motor skills. (Painting on an easel helps these skills too.)
4.
DIRECTIONALITY: Ask your child to help set the table. Ask them to put the fork next to the plate, the napkins under the fork…etc. Words such as: up, down, next to, near, under, over, are all helpful for learning math.
5.
LETTER RECOGNITION: Point out letters and signs on the street or on a cereal box. Help your child to become familiar that words are everywhere. If he is ready, you can ask him, “What sound does this letter say?”
6.
ATTENTION TO DETAILS: While taking a walk or riding in the car, help your child to notice things. Did you see that man wearing the hat? What color was his hat? Did you notice if that child had glasses? Did you see that bird? Let’s find out what kind of bird it was.
7.
PENCIL GRIP: If your child is ready to start writing, show him how to hold the crayon or pencil in the correct way. It is helpful to begin writing with small chunky crayons to strengthen their grip.
8.
FINE MOTOR SKILLS: Ripping paper is helpful to strengthen their fine motor skills and help them before they are ready to cut with scissors. (Of course cleaning up the ripped papers is a helpful skill too )
9.
PROBIOCEPTIVE INPUT: Lifting or pushing heavy things can help build your child’s core strength, help him focus, and also help him work with his extra energy. Have him help you carry shopping packages, put things away, carry the laundry basket downstairs.
10.
BE A MENSCH: Of course, this is number one. Remind your child to be nice to others and to make a kiddush Hashem wherever he goes. Greet people with a smile and hold doors open (never too early to start!). Be kind, especially when playing sports, where not all children have the same skills.
Elana is the Early Childhood Director of Yeshiva of South Shore and the author of Infusing the Ruach in your School.
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The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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Dr. Deb
What’s It About? By Deb Hirschhorn, Ph.D.
Part II
I
just made a list of all the things I want to do when I finally am ready to devote one day a week to “retirement.” This novel idea came to me as the result of a conversation with one of my sons. He said, “Ima, it seems to me that you don’t devote as much time as you could to your quality of life.” I was absolutely shocked to hear this. I thought I live a very good life: I see my children who live not far away every week for Shabbos; I play incessantly with my grandchildren and soak up every minute of joy; I eat well; I sleep well; I exercise three times a week; I go to shiurim every week; I daven every day with a real sense that I’m talking to HaKadosh Baruch Hu; I get in a little professional reading every day; I have fun writing these articles. What in the world was he talking about? But he pointed out that I have not visited him in Eretz Yisroel at all except for the kevurah and have not mentioned plans to travel; I have not taken a real vacation in many years; and I generally don’t include things that people my age might call “fun” in my life. This is true. I have been in caretaking mode for a long time. So his words got me thinking. And I thought: What would “retirement” look like? Well, I think maybe I am a bit on the tired side because I don’t exercise enough. I really should be walking or running every day, not just taking a fun class three times a week. And wouldn’t it be nice to read all the books that I’ve been wanting to all these years? I have a very fat file folder of titles that I’ve accumulated. But have not read. What’s the point of a list of titles if I’m never going to take
out time to read them? And years ago, my husband bought a course to learn conversational Hebrew. That has always been a dream of mine. Maybe there’s a time to stop dreaming and start doing. And yes, I want to not only go to Eretz Yisroel for a nice visit with my family there but to explore our ancient and beautiful country, get acquainted with it up front and personal. These things look like fun! I notice again and again that the people who come to see me with troubles of all sorts lack fun in their lives. Often, they are dead serious and miserable. Who am I to tell them to do otherwise when I’m not opening the door for fun myself? Yes, I have told people, often, they must add humor to their thoughts and their reactions. Humor makes life go down when it gets hard. But why not actual fun, too? Well, I send them on date night. I should probably ask people to make their “dream list” of what would constitute adding fun to their lives. Good idea. Then again, fun can be a big problem. I remember a teen that I saw who did no schoolwork, smoked illegal substances, lazed around all day when he was cutting school and partying with his friends – and was deeply unhappy. I was trying to get him to add meaning to his life. It was a futile effort; he couldn’t grasp what I was talking about. He didn’t care; he was depressed. Of course, the lack of meaning is behind the depression but the depression kept him from crawling out of his pit. (He was already on medication; so much for that.) Who has the meaning in their lives that make it worth living? Here’s a couple of questions for you to consider:
• Have you considered making amends with people you’ve hurt? • If you died tomorrow, can you say you’ve done everything you wanted, said everything you’ve wanted, been everywhere you’ve wanted? Don’t assume these things can wait “’til later”; later may never come. Maybe that is the biggest shock that I’ve gotten from my recent experience: We thought my husband would
Rod Sterling Twilight Zone episode of a gambler who kept winning and winning. He was thrilled. Until he wasn’t. Then he realized he had died and gone down to that place below. And what I’m learning now (finally; it took how long?) is that although the ikar is central for living, it needs something else to make life even better. It seems one won’t do well without the other.
Sure, fun is great – and necessary. It is a spice that flavors the main course.
get to Eretz Yisroel “when he gets better” and that he would eventually accomplish the things that he was working on and that the things he was “waiting for” would occur. He didn’t and they didn’t. Sure, fun is great – and necessary. It is a spice that flavors the main course. It’s great, but kind of pointless if there is no main course. And the flip side of the coin is that you can always enjoy the main course without seasoning, but I think the spices make it so much better. So the ikar (main idea) is the meaning in your life and the tufel (auxiliary idea) is the fun. Fun without meaning becomes pointless. I remember a
I plan to keep writing; to continue seeing clients; to finish the online course I’m creating on enhancing marriage; and to start speaking about it. That is the meaning part; it is me using my abilities to do something positive in this world. Although it’s meaningful, it still sounds like fun. But I’m looking forward to that “one day of fun every week” idea, too. I like it.
Dr. Deb Hirschhorn is a Marriage and Family Therapist. She can be reached at 646-54-DRDEB or by writing drdeb@ drdeb.com.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Health & F tness
Berry Month By Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN
N
othing beats munching on some fresh, cold, juicy berries on a hot summer day. That is most probably the reason why July is also referred to as Berry Month. There are many type of berries – blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries, blackberries, and goose berries – each with their unique texture, color, flavor, and let’s not forget, health benefits! Berries may be small, but as the popular saying goes, “Good things come in small packages!” Despite berries’ small size, they are big on antioxidants. Antioxidants play a large role in cancer prevention. It is well-known that oxidative damage contributes to the growth of cancers, and that antioxidants can have a protective effect. Antioxidants work by preventing reactive oxygen species from causing damage to cells. Thereby, antioxidants enable themselves to clean up the gradual buildup of waste materials in damaged arterial walls, thus lowering blood pressure. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants can help improve your overall health, protect your skin and hair, and pre-
vent chronic illness. All fruits contain antioxidants, however, berries are one of the best sources. There are many powerful antioxidants found in berries, including anthocyanins, quercetin, and vitamin C. Anthocyanins give berries their bright color, as well as reduce inflammation, thereby helping to prevent and manage arthritis. Anthocyanins also work together with quercetin to reduce age-related memory loss. A study published in 2012 found that women who ate more than 1 serving of blueberries a week and more than 2 servings of strawberries a week delayed cognitive aging by 2.5 years. Many studies have also shown that high berry consumption reduces the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. Another strong antioxidant found in berries is vitamin C. Vitamin C helps protect the body from infectious agents while serving as an antioxidant. High intakes of vitamin C have been shown to ward off certain cancers, heart disease, reduce arthritic symptoms, and minimize asthmatic problems.
There is also the popular thought that vitamin C helps fight off the common cold! In addition to antioxidants, berries are “juicy foods,” which means they contain mostly water. The high water content keeps us hydrated and makes berries a great snack on these hot summer days. “Juicy foods” are great for weight loss since they provide a sense of fullness. It also helps that berries are low in calories; 50 calories in 1 cup of strawberries and cranberries; and 100 calories in 1 cup of blueberries. Berries are also a great source of fiber and folate. Folate helps protect against cardiovascular disease and age-related memory loss. Fiber aids in weight loss, digestion, and helps lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Because of the high fiber and low calorie content, berries make a great snack for diabetics and just about anyone. Plus, they tend to be even sweeter than most candy! Another great characteristic of berries is their versatility. You can eat your berries fresh, frozen, in a fruit salad, compote, fruit soup,
fruit smoothie, or simply sprinkle them on top of a yogurt. Store fresh berries in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Remember, if you can’t find fresh berries, frozen berries are a great substitute for the off-season months. Berries can be frozen for up to 9 months. Keep in mind that all the nutrients get frozen long with the berries. This way, during Berry Month or whatever month it may be, you can always enjoy your berries!
Cindy Weinberger MS, RD, CDN, is a Master’s level Registered Dietitian and Certified Dietitian-Nutritionist. She graduated CUNY Brooklyn College receiving a Bachelor’s in Science and Master’s degree in Nutrition and Food Sciences. Her Dietetic Internship was completed under Brooklyn College primarily in Ditmas Park Care Center and Boro Park Center where she developed clinical and education skills to treat patients with comprehensive nutrition care. She is currently a dietitian at Boro Park Center and a private nutrition consultant. She can be reached at CindyWeinberger1@gmail.com.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The |Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish
In The K
tchen
By Naomi Nachman
As many of my readers know, I love to eat meat, but I know that many people shy away from red meat for health or other reasons. Therefore, when preparing Shabbat meals, I always try to serve both a chicken and a meat dish – that way, everybody has something they can enjoy (especially me). Due to the additional heat it generates, my preference is not to leave a hot plate on for Shabbat lunches during the summer months, so I will tend to make things that serve well at room temperature. This is my go-to meat recipe that I serve for Shabbat lunches. I cook it on my barbecue on Friday afternoon, or if the weather is bad I use my stovetop grill pan. Once it has cooled, I put it in a Ziploc bag and slice it the next day before plating it.
Dry Rubbed London Broil Ingredients
Preparation
1 (2 lb.) flat London broil 2 tablespoons olive oil
Mix together dry rub ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Rub London broil with olive oil and then coat generously with the dry rub. Let stand for about 15 minutes at room temperature. Preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place meat on grill and grill for about 5 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing on the bias. Cook’s note: I like to cook my meat medium rare with an internal meat temperature of 125°F.
Dry Rub 1 tablespoon dried rosemary 1 tablespoon sweet paprika 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon thyme Kosher salt
Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet. com or at (516) 295-9669.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The |Jewish HomeHome OCTOBER 29, 2015 The Jewish
The Urban Pops Queen 5 Children, 70 Flavors, Icy Deliciousness Sophia Cohen Talks Pops By Malky Lowinger
I
t’s summertime, and we all scream for ice cream. Only now, the hottest craze in frozen desserts is hip, urban, and available to us on a Popsicle stick. We spoke to Sophia Cohen, the founder of Urban Pops, to hear about her wildly popular frozen desserts and how it all started in her small Brooklyn kitchen. Sophia, it’s a pleasure to speak with you! Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m a Brooklyn girl, born and bred. I live in Flatbush and spend the summers in Deal, NJ. I’m a busy wife and mom who is trying to run a business at the same time. It can be exhausting, but I’m loving it. So how did the concept of Urban Pops get started? I’ve always tried to lead a healthy lifestyle. For years I’ve been shopping at the Farmer’s Market. But as time went on I realized that it’s hard to find healthy snacks for my kids. I
started experimenting with recipes, and eventually I came upon a simple recipe for frozen berry sorbet that I thought my kids would enjoy. They loved it, so the next year I served it as dessert on Shavuot and they loved it again. That was four summers ago. From dessert on Shavuot to a major business. How did it become a business enterprise? Afterwards, I started playing with other fruit flavors, like strawberries and watermelon. Kids on the block would come over – they just couldn’t get enough of it. Finally, my sister Alexis urged me to start selling it. I looked at her like she’s crazy. “What? How can I sell a frozen item? My freezer is tiny!” But she kept pushing me, and eventually she was right. How did you get it off the ground? Originally we were selling it in tubs, but my dream was to create individual servings of frozen pops.
Hashem put that whole idea into my head. So we bought a freezer and, with the help of Instagram, it turned into a very labor intensive business. Who helped you along the way? My family was very supportive. My mother, Beverly, who recently passed away, would hold the baby and watch the kids while I worked. My husband Gary would help me in the evenings and eventually quit his job to help full time. He has a really good palate. I would create the flavors and he would taste them. Sounds like a dream job for him. How many Urban Pop flavors are there? I don’t have an exact number but it’s over seventy for sure. Wow. That’s a big number. How did that happen? We started with fruit, always trying to keep it seasonal. We did watermelon and apricot in the sum-
mers, baked apple crisp in the winter. We also did chocolate, coconut, and lemonade. After that, we learned how to make creamy pops on a stick and then we realized we can dip them. That began a whole new level of premium flavors. Our first premium flavor was Almond Joy. It was incredible. Now there’s Strawberry Shortcake, S’mores, and lots of others. And you did all this out of your own home? Yes, it was crazy. We would be up until three or four in the morning working on orders. On the other hand I was home with my kids. Still, about a year ago we moved into a commercial kitchen and everything changed. I now have a small staff that works with me. Do you and your husband have a favorite flavor? I would say that my favorite is Lemon Cayenne. His is Grapefruit.
The Jewish | JULY 29, 14, 2015 2016 The Jewish HomeHome | OCTOBER
What about your family? Do they ever get tired of Urban Pops? No. Never. It’s our go-to dessert every Shabbos. Sounds yummy but some of us have to watch our waistlines. How many calories are in an Urban Pop? That would depend, of course, on which Pops you are talking about. The fruit pops all average between 80 and 130 calories, so if you’re watching your weight those are perfectly fine. And we’re certified by the OK. What’s your most exotic flavor? Mexican Chocolate is very cool. It’s a chocolate cinnamon flavor combined with cayenne. I also like the Spumoni, which is toasted almond chocolate and pistachio gelato. As you can see, I really enjoy experimenting with flavors. Do you personally sample every single flavor? Of course! Why do you think your products are so popular? The flavors are really good and the products are really fresh. I can list maybe five or six ingredients in each flavor, none of which are processed. We use sugar, but minimally. No corn syrup and no food coloring. Even the beautiful colors
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are natural. Also, I think people just like the idea that it’s homemade. It’s cool! We did most of our marketing through Instagram, where I would post pictures of my products. We were lucky that we got established that way. We currently have 16,000 followers and are going strong. Two or three years ago, Instagram was amazing. It was more personal than it is now. People got personally involved. Today, it’s more business-oriented. Looking back, what would you have done differently? To be honest, I should have moved into a commercial kitchen sooner. I have a hard time learning how to delegate. As a result, it was insane in my house both day and night. My one part time worker would come in the morning, look at my kitchen, and literally gasp! I also had two children during this whole process. Don’t ask me how I managed that. My son Albert grew up crawling around while we were working. And my oldest is only ten! But they are really easygoing kids. They would walk in from school and see the kitchen flying, and they were okay with it. Maybe everything wasn’t perfect and maybe I didn’t always keep up with their schoolwork. But they knew we needed the money and we were doing what we had to do. We tried to spend quality time with them whenever we could.
It sounds like it was a lot of work. Any advice for others who are looking to start a home business? Despite what I just told you, I feel strongly that if you want to do something you just have to throw yourself into it. No, you’re not going to be super-organized, and things aren’t going to be perfect. Maybe the kids will be fed a little later, or the house won’t be as spotless as you’d like. But you have to jump in. Don’t be scared to try. What did you learn from this experience? Be prepared to be rejected, and deal with it. What has been the most gratifying part of all this? I’ve established amazing relationships with hundreds of my customers. I love them. They support me and they give me constructive feedback. I learn how to perfect my products by listening to them. As an entrepreneur, many women would view you as their inspiration. Who is your greatest inspiration?
That would have to be my mother, Beverly Ifergen a”h. She kept on going no matter what, and she never gave up. She was strong and determined, and also very supportive of what we’re doing here. I owe so much of who I am to her. And I hope we’re making her proud. What was the most bizarre experience you’ve had? I gave birth to one of our children at 6am and then my husband said, “Gotta go. I’ll see you later!” It was the day of our first really big delivery to Deal, NJ, and he was the only one who could do it. He left me right after the baby was born to drive to Deal and came back later. It was crazy but we both knew it had to be done. It sounds like a real family business – from baby to mom to dad. What are your future plans for Urban Pops? We’d like to open more shops, possibly in the hipster area of Williamsburg, in the Five Towns, or in Manhattan. Maybe even Boro Park. Sophia, we can’t wait! Thanks for making our summer cool and delicious.
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At Courtside Grill Everyone Sits Courtside By Chaim Sherman
W
ho am I? I sit courtside at any game I want. I’m served amazing kosher food by friendly servers at my seat. I cheer on multiple teams at once. If you guessed Spike Lee...drumroll…wrong! I am a born and bred Five Towner who chanced upon the new Courtside Grill in Central Ave. Before I tell you about my experience at Courtside let me take for a stroll down memory lane. There was once a time in the ‘80s (sorry baby boomers I know you are all thinking about that diner on Cornaga) that the Five Towns had one fleishig restaurant. Whoever remembers Burger Nosh raise your drumstick. Snack boxes, burgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets – and I don’t remember if they had anything else. Then came King David, the iconic delicatessen with the monster pastrami sandwiches. Boy, did I feel like a boss when my parents took me there for my birthday – I could barely get my mouth around that sandwich. As far as dairy restaurants, we always had 25 of them…just kidding. There were two pizza stores and a place called Delicious Dairy. Classic place with amazing vegetable soup – what were those doughy things floating around in there? As a community, we’ve come a long way to a point of being, perhaps, the “one stop shop” of good kosher food. But it’s the kosher scene as a whole that has changed so much. Good food just doesn’t cut it anymore. Foodies, as they’re called on Facebook, demand creativity, themes, background stories, legendary chefs, busy Facebook pages, and in Brooklyn, mason jars…seriously? I think they need to get out more often. New restaurants are popping up all
over the place offering experiences as well as unique and artisanal dishes. So when I walked into Courtside Grill and realized that we now have another icon in the Five Towns I got really emotional. Just kidding…I don’t get emotional about food – it’s much more matter of fact for me. To describe Courtside Grill in one sentence is not my style – as you see from my ramblings. How about “a circus for all your sense…or most of them at least!”? From the friendly staff dressed as umps (no challenging the umpire’s call necessary here) to
the 25 sports games playing at once to the sports themed furniture and authentic memorabilia, this place is a foodie/sports fan’s dreamland. Before the first buzzer rang, we were seated in a comfortable booth surrounded by TVs playing our requested sports games. The waiter described every dish on the menu and helped us decide what to get. I would have liked to order everything but there’s always next time. We started with bbq wings, the most succulent and flavorful wings I’ve ever tried. Crunchy on the outside and soft and
juicy on the inside. The adults tried the fish tacos; I didn’t expect to see that in a sports grill. Delicious! The softest corn tortillas and fresh fish dowsed in an amazing sauce. The MVP appetizer was the nachos. It was big enough to feed my wife and 1, four well-fed kids and my motherin-law (sorry baby boomers there I go again – us millennials like – or tolerate – our mothers-in-law). There was so much happening on that nachos platter, it nailed every taste bud. Five minutes after the appetizers arrived, the mains started rolling in. Juicy burgers topped with a collection of sauces and toppings – they even slipped a sunny side up egg on one of them. The toasted steak wrap oozed with a secret sauce and caramelized onions. For the “no bread” people (please stop reading this article immediately), the chicken tenders were way more than just tender. Oh, and before I forget (don’t worry I won’t for a while), the side dishes…especially the sweet potato fries – a must! Just when I thought that I had enough, I caught a glimpse of the dessert menu. We mustered our last ounces of energy and ordered all of them and polished them off. Remember when dessert in a restaurant meant sorbet or seven layer cake? Not here! These desserts were all super tasty and unique creations and displayed beautifully. I could go on forever but every game must end. (By the way, we got to watch Mets closer Jeurys Familia pitch his 28th save out of 28 tries as we were polishing off the desserts.) So next time you are in the mood of a fun night out with amazing food, with the kids or without them, you gotta try this new place. At Courtside Grill everyone sits courtside and gets treated like Spike Lee!
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Notable Quotes “Say What?!”
Construction has just started on a two-mile underground “beer pipeline” in Europe. Which explains why today, Britain changed its mind on Brexit. - Conan O’Brien
Last week was very rough. Two black men were needlessly gunned down by police; 5 Dallas police officers were slain by a demented man; and on Friday I had to appear in federal court. Being indicted is very scary. Yet my conscience is clear because I’m innocent. I’m not the first black elected official to be persecuted and, sad to say, I won’t be the last. The presidential debates have been announced and, guess what, the final one is gonna take place in Las Vegas. Trump and Hillary will have a 90-minute debate and then be married by Elvis. – Conan O’Brien
People are now saying that Hillary Clinton has narrowed her list of potential vice presidents down to five people. I’m sorry, she’s “deleted” the list down to five people. – Jimmy Fallon
It’s been found that one of Saturn’s moons has an atmosphere somewhat like Earth’s, except you can’t breathe the air, drink the water, or survive the surface temperature. Yet, it’s still a better venue for the Summer Olympics than Rio. - Conan O’Brien
- Democratic Florida Congresswoman Corrine Brown after being indicted on 24 counts of fraud and corruption
Bernie Sanders is expected to actually endorse Hillary Clinton at an event in New Hampshire tomorrow. In fact, Bernie Sanders is set to give his most enthusiastic endorsement of all time: “Eh, could be worse!” – Jimmy Fallon
Although Hillary Clinton was cleared of charges in the investigation of her deleted emails, her actions were described by the FBI as “extremely reckless.” However, in her defense, the report pointed out that she was Hillary reckless, not Bill reckless. – Conan O’Brien
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A couple in North Carolina was arrested for attacking each other with pizza rolls. They’ve been charged with two counts of “Deserving each other.” – Conan O’Brien
It says a lot about our relationship with Hillary Clinton that she seems well on her way to becoming Madam President because she’s not getting indicted. If she were still at the State Department, she could be getting fired for being, as the F.B.I. director told Congress, “extremely careless” with topsecret information. Instead, she’s on a glide path to a big promotion. - Maureen Dowd, The New York Times
Do not be discouraged by those who would use your lawful actions as cover for their heinous violence. - Attorney General Loretta Lynch encouraging protesters to continue demonstrating after 5 police officers were murdered in Dallas
Look at the nonsense that people say running for office. I mean, just ridiculous stuff. And they get away with it because there’s no big gong that rings that says, “Oh, my gosh, look at what so-and-so just said.”
Donald Trump met with 200 House Republicans who were described as “nervous.” And following the meeting, many of them were described as “Democrats.” – Conan O’Brien
Bernie Sanders endorsing Crooked Hillary Clinton is like Occupy Wall Street endorsing Goldman Sachs. - Tweet by Donald Trump after Bernie Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton
The Juno satellite probe, which hasn’t been heard from in five years and has been traveling through deep space, finally reached Jupiter yesterday and reestablished contact with Earth. The Jupiter satellite’s first message was, “The Republican Nominee is WHO?” – Conan O’Brien
- Hillary Clinton during an interview with Vox media
Having a backyard fence for three dogs and three kids is not a half-bad idea. - House Speaker Paul Ryan responding to accusations that he is a hypocrite for having a large wall around his house but not supporting Trump’s plan to build a wall along the Mexican border with the U.S.
Analysts are now saying that Florida could be one of the biggest threats to Donald Trump’s campaign. In other words, Trump may be crazy, but he’s not Florida crazy.
In the past 48 hours another two black men have been lynched by the police. The total number of black people lynched by cops in 2016 now totals 136. We must remember that many U.S. police departments train with the Israeli Defense Forces. The same forces behind the genocide of black people in America are behind the genocide of Palestinians. - Posting by the Students for Justice in Palestine, a group in NYU
– Conan O’Brien
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A South Carolina elementary school’s lunch program has added a food truck that serves the kids buffalo wings, tacos, and mac and cheese. It’s all in keeping with the school’s motto: “It’s Never Too Early To Give Up.” – Conan O’Brien
Black Lives Matter doesn’t condone shooting law enforcement. But I have to be honest: I understand why it was done. I don’t encourage it, I don’t condone it, I don’t justify it. But I understand it. - Actor and Black Lives Matter activist Sir Maejr
I’m your best hope. - President Obama during a gathering of law enforcement officials at the White House to discuss the perilous state of affairs
Donald Trump is now saying the media took his praise of Saddam Hussein “out of context.” Trump also said the media misinterpreted his 5 star Amazon review of Mein Kampf. – Conan O’Brien
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A new app has come out that describes itself as “Uber for Sushi.” The app tells you exactly how many minutes away your E. coli is. – Conan O’Brien
A federal court just ruled that sharing your Netflix password is now a federal crime. So if you’ve been looking for a way to send your parents to prison, here’s your chance. – Jimmy Fallon
According to the police, robbers have been ambushing people playing Pokémon Go by luring them to remote locations. The item most commonly reported stolen is any chance at a real adulthood.
Earlier today, a bunch of grapes sold in Japan for over $10,000. In other words, they’ve opened a Whole Foods in Japan. – Conan O’Brien
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Political Crossfire
A Cuban Doctor Who Moves History By Michael Gerson Finally receiving his medal
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hen awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in 2007, Dr. Oscar Biscet had a scheduling conflict, being in a Cuban prison. At the White House ceremony, Bush called him a “dangerous man ... in the same way that Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi were dangerous.” It was not until three years later in a dark cell that another prisoner told him what the citation read that day had said. Recently, unexpectedly, Biscet was allowed by the Cuban regime to travel to the Bush Institute in Dallas and finally receive the award from Bush’s hands. Biscet explains this as part of the regime’s effort to create “the impression of change.” That impression was dimmed a bit by the humiliating searches he was subjected to at the airport on his departure. Knowing the police would rummage through his suitcase, Biscet left a surprise: a Cuban flag covering his belongings. It is the kind of in-yourface defiance displayed by many dissidents. Biscet is offended to the core that the country he loves is occupied by squalid autocrats who have run it into the ground.
Political heroism is often expressed by the simple inability to stomach the next indignity. For this attitude, Biscet has spent 12 of his 54 years in Cuban jails. His first offense was exposing deception at the heart of Cuban health care, the regime’s main source of revolutionary pride. In the early 1990s, Biscet (an internist and medical teacher) began documenting “the mix between politics and medicine” that kept child mortality rates in Cuba so low. The government pressured hospitals and doctors to pressure women with problem pregnancies to abort, in order to post better statistics. “If they know a baby may have congenital malformations,” Biscet told me, “they are killed before birth, unless parents show very strong objections.” He explains: “It is all about appearances.” The largest question since President Obama’s opening to the Cuban government: Are we seeing changes that are more than appearances? There is little doubt the regime is increasingly isolated, with its ally Venezuela in socialism-induced chaos and a more hostile government coming in Brazil. The Castro government seems interest-
ed in freeing up some economic space for small and medium-sized businesses (though not for professionals such as doctors and lawyers). But jobs in tourism are rewarded to regime favorites and cronies, including former military. According to a recent report by Oxford Analytica, the infusion of cash into limited regions and economic sectors is encouraging greater inequality and social tension. The government has responded by lowering the price of food and children’s clothing. There is no indication that the regime is opening social or political space. To the contrary, the Communist Party is overcompensating in its revolutionary zeal, including an old-fashioned diatribe by Fidel Castro against Obama and American imperialism. Americans naturally view these events through the lens of their own interests and weigh the costs and benefits. Obama’s March visit to Cuba was viewed by many (and by him) as a diplomatic breakthrough. Dissidents see things differently. “For us,” Biscet’s wife Elsa says, “the faces of the Castros on posters are like the faces of Hitler and Stalin. To see the president of a demo-
cratic government embrace these people was ... discouraging.” People born into free societies have a difficult time imagining the experience of totalitarianism. In Cuba, the party ultimately controls every job. Biscet once took work at a steel factory. When his political history was
being on “the wrong side of history.” This can be a source of confidence, or a form of abdication. When progress is seen as the result of a ticking clock or impersonal forces, it acts as a release from responsibility. History is generally moved in the right direction by individuals willing to sacrifice their lives and lib-
To the contrary, the Communist Party is overcompensating in its revolutionary zeal, including an old-fashioned diatribe by Fidel Castro against Obama and American imperialism.
discovered, he was fired. At the beginning of the regime, there were mass confiscations and killings. Then large-scale incarceration and forced exile for many Cuban patriots. Now, says Elsa, there are also “policemen in the mind.” Everyone feels watched. “That fear is what now controls the population,” says Oscar Biscet. “And it is a justified fear.” Obama often talks about dictators and terrorists
erty for the liberty of others. Standing up for “dangerous” men and women is not a distraction from diplomacy. It is one of the great comparative advantages of American foreign policy. We benefit from the advance of the democratic values that gave our nation birth – a birth attended by men very much like Dr. Oscar Biscet. (c) 2016, Washington Post Writers Group
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Political Crossfire
Comey A Theory By Charles Krauthammer
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hy did he do it? FBI director James Comey spent 14 minutes laying out an unassailable case for prosecuting Hillary Clinton for the mishandling of classified material. Then at literally the last minute, he recommended against prosecution. This is baffling. Under the statute (18 U.S.C. section 793(f)), it’s a felony to mishandle classified information either intentionally or “through gross negligence.” The evidence, as outlined by Comey, is overwhelming. Clinton either sent or received 110 emails in 52 chains containing material that was classified at the time. Eight of these chains contained information that was top secret. A few of the classified emails were so marked, contrary to Clinton’s assertion that there were none. These were stored on a home server that was even less secure than a normal Gmail account. Her communications were quite possibly compromised by hostile powers, thus jeopardizing American national security. “An unclassified system was no place for that conversation,” said Comey of the classified emails. A rather kind euphemism, using the passive voice. In plainer, more direct language: It is imprudent, improper and indeed illegal to be conducting such business on an unsecured private server. Comey summed up Clinton’s behavior as “extremely careless.” How is that not gross negligence? Yet Comey let her off the hook, citing lack of intent. But negligence doesn’t require intent.
Compromising national secrets is such a grave offense that it requires either intent or negligence. Lack of intent is, therefore, no defense. But one can question that claim as well. Yes, it is safe to assume that there was no malicious intent to injure the nation. But Clinton clearly intended to set up an unsecured private server. She clearly intended to send those classified emails. She clearly received warnings from her own department about the dangers of using a private email account. She meant to do what she did. And she did it. Intentionally. That’s two grounds for prosecution, one requiring no intent whatsoever. Yet Comey claims that no reasonable prosecutor would bring such a case. Nor has one ever been brought. Not so. Just last year, the Justice Department successfully prosecuted naval reservist Bryan Nishimura, who improperly downloaded classified material to his personal, unclassified electronic devices. The government admitted that there was no evidence that Nishimura intended to distribute the material to others. Nonetheless, he was sentenced to two years of probation, fined and forever prohibited from seeking a security clearance, which effectively kills any chance of working in national security. So why not Hillary Clinton? The usual answer is that the Clintons are treated by a different standard. Only little people pay. They are too well connected, too well protected to be treated like everybody else.
Alternatively, the explanation lies with Comey: He gave in to implicit political pressure, the desire to please those in power. Certainly plausible, but given Comey’s reputation for probity and given that he holds a 10-year
retired secretary of state, he might well have made a different recommendation. Prosecuting under current circumstances would have upended and redirected an already year-long presidential selection process. In my
If Clinton were not a presumptive presidential nominee but simply a retired secretary of state, he might well have made a different recommendation.
appointment, I’d suggest a third line of reasoning. When Chief Justice John Roberts used a tortured, logic-defying argument to uphold Obamacare, he was subjected to similar accusations of bad faith. My view was that, as guardian of the Supreme Court’s public standing, he thought the issue too momentous – and the implications for the country too large --- to hinge on a decision of the court. Especially after Bush v. Gore, Roberts wanted to keep the court from overturning the political branches on so monumental a piece of social legislation. I would suggest that Comey’s thinking, whether conscious or not, was similar: He did not want the FBI director to end up as the arbiter of the 2016 presidential election. If Clinton were not a presumptive presidential nominee but simply a
view, Comey didn’t want to be remembered as the man who irreversibly altered the course of American political history. And with no guarantee that the prosecution would succeed, moreover. Imagine that scenario: You knock out of the race the most likely next president – and she ultimately gets acquitted! Imagine how Comey goes down in history under those circumstances. I admit I’m giving Comey the benefit of the doubt. But the best way I can reconcile his reputation for integrity with the grating illogic of his Clinton decision is by presuming that he didn’t want to make history. I don’t endorse his decision. (Nor did I Roberts’.) But I think I understand it. (c) 2016, The Washington Post Writers Group
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Forgotten Her es
Tzvi Tzur An IDF Hero By Avi Heiligman
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ommanders of militaries usually only become famous if they lead forces during large scale wars. Imagine Generals George Washington, Ulysses S. Grant or Dwight D. Eisenhower being commanders of the U.S. Army when there was relative calm. All of them had great records as junior officers in previous wars but were relatively unknown until they led armies in three of the bloodiest wars America has ever fought. Other commanders have come and gone because, although they may have been excellent generals, they didn’t have a war to “showcase” their abilities. If this had been the case for Washington, Grant and Eisenhower, they wouldn’t have been hailed as war heroes and would have had a much tougher time being elected president. Israel had several of these commanders, including the sixth IDF Chief of Staff Tzvi Tzur. Born in Ukraine, which in 1923 was part of the USSR, Tzvi Tzur’s family moved to Eretz Yisrael when he was two-years-old. Then under the British mandate of Palestine, Jews formed several units to protect cities and towns from hostile Arabs. Tzur joined the Haganah in the late 1930s to protect his fellow Jews from vicious Arab rioters. In 1946 he was arrested along with 2,700 other
Jewish underground soldiers by the British and was released two months later. The raid became known as the Black Sabbath and was one of the reasons behind the Irgun’s bombing of the British headquarters in the King David Hotel. With the expected departure of the British in the first half of 1948, the underground movements started to formulate regular fighting units. The Givati Brigade was organized in December 1947 and placed under the command of Shimon Avidan. Originally there were five battalions with a sixth being created on May 30. Tzur was given command of the 54th Battalion and participated in several operations. One of the missions was called Operation Pleshet. Along with four fighter planes led by American Lou Lenart and Ezer Weizman, the Egyptians were stopped by a place later called Ad Halom (“Thus Far” in English) in remembrance of the battle. Tzur’s battalion made a frontal assault in unknown territory and was outnumbered. They were forced to retreat when the Egyptians advanced on their positions with British armored vehicles. The Israelis suffered many casualties with more than half of them coming from the 54th Battalion. Even though the Givati Brigade lost the battle, the initiative in the war
went from the Egyptians going from an offensive war to a defensive stance. Commanders who create special units are always remembered for their daring and tenacity. Tzur put together a commando unit called Samson’s Foxes. Shu’alei Shimshon, their Hebrew name, was named after the story in Sefer Shoftim, had the insignia of a fox with a torch attached to its tail, and was a jeep reconnaissance platoon within the 54th Battalion. They took part in a series of engagements called the Battles of the Separation Corridor. After the war they were disbanded. Recently, the unit was revived within the Givati Brigade but its modus operandi is classified. After the war Tzur continued to help the IDF organize into a proper military defense mechanism and went to the U.S. to study military management. In 1958 he was appointed as the deputy chief of staff and spent time in France. In 1961 he was appointed as the chief of staff and made Yitzchak Rabin his deputy. While there were no major wars during his tenure, there were some border incidents with Syria in the Golan Heights. In 1962 Golani soldiers raided enemy outposts in retaliation for the shelling of villages. Tzur “beefed” up the military with new weapons and planes. The Dassault Mirage III fighters were
acquired from France in a move that was made public by Egyptian President Nasser. The Mirage III as well as two other Tzur acquisitions, the Centurion tank and the Hawk Surfaceto-Air missile, were vital in the IDF’s arsenal for both the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars. Tzvi Tzur retired from the IDF in 1963 and entered the business world as a manager of Israel’s water supply company. It was short-lived, as he was put under pressure two years later to join David Ben Gurion’s political party and was elected to the Knesset. His tenure as a Knesset member lasted just a month but two years later he was asked by Moshe Dayan to become an advisor to the Minister of Defense. After seven years as an advisor, he held several top level positions in Israeli companies. Tzur died on December 28, 2004. Even though there was no major wars during his time as IDF’s Chief of Staff he saw a lot of action as a junior officer and, in many top Israeli official’s opinions, helped the IDF become a top notch military. Avi Heiligman is a weekly contributor to The Jewish Home. He welcomes your comments and suggestions for future columns and can be reached at avi heiligman@gmail.com.
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Rocky’s
Rant
The No Boo-Boo Generation By Rocky Zweig
F
or the past nineteen years or so, I’ve developed this mantra that I tell anyone who’ll listen: “The best reason to have kids is to have grandkids.” It’s really a no-brainer: you get to share all the nachas and hardly have to do any of the work, save for babysitting once in a while and spoiling them rotten. You get to play with them and then send them home, and don’t have to deal with changing diapers, or spit-up on the suit you just put on for the chasuna you were leaving to as soon as the babysitter who’s twenty minutes late shows up, or screaming mini-maniacs at two in the morning. Or three. Or four, when you have to leave for work in two hours. And if you’re lucky enough, you get to see the little monsters under the chuppah twenty years later. I went to one siddur play and one playgroup graduation on the same day a few weeks ago and must have gained five pounds just from kvelling.
This is my youngest grandson, Yosef. Yosef is three (he’s two in the photo) and he’s what one might call “a handful.” I was actually going to call him something else, but then it occurred to me that my daughter
might see this and thought better of it. The problem with Yosef is, he’s perhaps the cutest kid ever to prowl the Lower East Side, and he knows it. He’ll take a saltshaker, wait till you’re looking right at him, and then dump it on the floor. He’s got this
They’re fearless and they’re got these pliable arms and legs that go flying up and down slides, zooming across rope bridges and riding on yellow plaster hippopotami on springs that can take a lot of punishment and come back for more. The arms and
I vividly recall hanging upside down from the monkey bars and dropping down onto concrete directly on my head (now that I think about it, that probably explains quite a lot).
gleam in his eye that says, “Yeah, I did that; but I’m so adorable that I’m gonna get away with it, right?” Works on me every time. But his mom? Not so much. Notice anything about the picture? Can’t see much of the kid, can you? I count seven pieces of safety equipment on this tiny Evel Knievel: two knee pads, two elbow pads, two padded gloves and a helmet that weighs more than he does. Seriously? Does he really need all that protection? How much damage can he do falling off a scooter that’s three inches off the ground?? Let me tell you something about this kid: he is tough. I have seen him fall off things at home that would have put me in traction. He jumps, runs, crashes into things, falls, and picks himself up and does it all over again. Unless, of course, he’s too busy cheerfully beating up his big sister. And you know what else? I have been with him on the playground they have between the buildings at the co-op complex where my daughter lives and most of the rest of the kids are just as tough and resilient.
legs, that is. Not the hippopotami. Who would want to punish a yellow plaster hippopotamus? But they’ve got mothers who watch them like hawks and are on top of them the minute one of them lands on his bottom on that rubber padding that’s thicker than a Tempur-Pedic mattress. What kind of kids are we raising? When I was a kid, playgrounds were asphalt-covered, jagged edged concussions waiting to happen, but we didn’t know any better and our parents weren’t freaked out about it. I vividly recall hanging upside down from the monkey bars and dropping down onto concrete directly on my head (now that I think about it, that probably explains quite a lot). Now mind you, I’m not advocating bringing back the death traps of my youth; I just worry about the wimpification of our kids. When I was a kid I’d leave the house, say 12 or 1 in the afternoon, be outside playing with my friends on the block till maybe 5 or 6, and come home for supper. No one knew
where I was. What’s more, no one cared. I had no money, no keys, no nutin’. Cell phones that fit in your pocket were only about forty years away. The only telephones that existed in our house were the one hanging from the kitchen wall with the long, tangled-up coiled cord, and the extension in my parents’ bedroom. And since there were only rotary dials back then, if someone had a bunch of nines or zeroes in his number you’d have to really like him a lot to bother to call him, because dialing his number was a real pain in the neck! Let me tell you about one game we made up on 48th Street between 12th and 13th Avenues in Boro Park, circa 1961. My buddies and I found an empty lot that had tons of old, broken roofing shingles. It was a treasure trove of material we knew instinctively we could somehow turn into something wonderfully stupid and nasty, and we proceeded to do just that. We each got a broomstick, a clothespin (you young’uns know what clothespins are?), a nail, and a bunch of rubber bands. We put the nail on one end, fastened the clothespin on the other end with some rubber bands, strung a bunch of rubber bands together, stretched them taut between the nail and the clothespin, held the end in the teeth of the clothespin and loaded a sharp piece of shingle in the rubber band right in front of the clothespin.
Can’t picture it? Here: I’ve made it easy for you:OK, OK; now you know why I write and don’t draw or paint. But you get the idea, I hope. The point is, with our twisted little
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
ten-year-old minds, we managed to use our imaginations and all the stored-up images from the hours spent watching Bonanza and Gunsmoke to manufacture some truly deadly weapons. The object of the game was to see who could shoot his shingle arrowhead the farthest, but when we opened our clothespin-triggers that incredibly dangerous shard went knifing through the air with absolutely no control whatsoever. It’s a total miracle that we all still have both our eyes! And here’s two more of our toys that should have killed us:
1. Black Snakes. Simply put, these were black tablets that you lit with a match and they blew up into a long column of ash. If you had been dropped on your head in the delivery room, you might have been able to imagine that it looked like a snake. We’d light up a whole pack and watch them turn into these ashy snakes right on our front steps when we were nine or ten. Our moms didn’t bat an eyelash. Today they’d probably be arrested.
2. Plastic Bubbles in a Tube. A company called Wham-O had the brilliant idea of producing this neat little gem called “Super Elastic Bubble Plastic.” It was a tube of toxicity
that came with a straw. You squeezed a big blob of this goop onto the straw, took a nice, deep breath and then blew, creating a multi-colored bubble, while also probably killing a few brain cells in the process. This stuff was made of polyvinyl acetate mixed with acetone. That means if you played with it long enough, you turned into a Korean manicurist.
Did you know that kids nowadays get prizes just for showing up? Did you know that they actually have ribbons that read, “Participant”? Some places they don’t even keep score during baseball games. G-d forbid we should traumatize little Billy by having him lose. If a kid loses a race, what do they call him? “The last winner”? How do you think these young ‘uns are gonna handle it when ten years down the road their bosses tell ‘em, “Clean out your desk!” There’s a school in New Hampshire where they don’t let the kids play tag during recess anymore because the contact is “potentially harmful.” In Port Washington, New York, a middle school has banned footballs, soccer balls, baseballs and lacrosse balls on its playgrounds because they’re “potentially injurious.” Personally, I think all this banning is because all these activities are “potentially fun!” What do you want these poor tykes to do? Toss Nerf balls back and forth underhanded? Boruch Hashem this madness hasn’t spread to our frum community…yet. But I do think we coddle our kids too much. We ought let them go exploring their world a little without us breathing down their necks all the time. Yes, unfortunately the world is a much more dangerous place than it was when I was a kid. Just twen-
ty-five years ago my son would spend hours in the bungalow colony on the edge of the woods with his friends, and at no point did anyone organinze a search party. I wonder if that still happens today. Hey, eventually you let them cross the street by themselves and they survive, right? At some point you ought to just stand back and give ‘em some room to grow!
Rocky Zweig has been writing since he was sixteen and was the Editor-in-Chief of the late and decidedly unlamented Modieinu, the mimeographed (remember mimeographs?) newspaper of the Tenth Avenue Pirchei of Boro Park, where he wrote everything from stories to news articles to hashkafa articles to... yes (now it can be told!)...letters to the editor. Rocky was sixteen a very long time ago. He is the proud father of three marginally neurotic children. He has been married three — count ‘em — three
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times and has finally determined that he’s probably not very good at matrimonial bliss. He lives in his Fortress of Solitude in Flatbush with a small menagerie: Clarice, a European Starling; Rabbi Horatio LeZard, a Bearded Dragon; an aquarium filled with Lake Malawi African Cichlids; and a ten gallon tank that functions as a Home for Unwanted Goldfish, or H.U.G., collected over the years by his grandkids and great nieces and nephews at myriad street fairs and carnivals (rather than face the unpleasant task of flushing these unfortunate piscine creatures when they are eventually, inevitably ignored by their own obnoxious progeny, the parents simply call Uncle Rocky who then feeds them and cares for them until their ultimate natural demise three or four or even ten years down the pike). So apparently Rocky seems to get along better with animals than with his fellow homo sapiens. Or sapienses. Or whatever. Rocky’s column will be appearing every other week in The Jewish Home. Rocky can be reached at anidaati@aol.com.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Let us help you create great moments‌
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Classifieds SERVICES
SERVICES
Alternative Solutions Geriatric Care Management staff will assist you with: * Obtaining Medicaid and Pooled Income Trust * In-home Assessments, Individual and Family Counseling * Securing reliable home care assistance * Case and Care Management services Dr. S. Sasson, DSW, LCSW (718) 544- 0870 or (646) 284-6242
MORAH ADINA’S STROOCK’S 3 YEAR OLD PLAYGROUP. NEW LOCATION!! Spots available for 2016-’17. Now centrally locataced in the heart of Far Rockaway on Caffery Ave. Warm, loving, veteran morah. Hours until 3 (Friday until 12). Call 516-510-8332 or 718-471-5283
MORAH MIRI’S 2&3 YEAR OLD SUMMER PROGRAM has a few more openings still available! Please call for details: 718-327-5153 Have a super summer!
ATLANTIC BEACH 200 Feet of Unobstructed Open Bay The Unique Joining of Two Homes by a magnificent Indoor Heated Pool & fully Equipped Gym. 10 Bedrooms, 12 Baths, 3 Gas Fireplaces, Open Concept and Formal Living Spaces, Radiant Heated Floors, Finished Basements, Steel Bulkheads, 3 Piers, Mahogany Decking & Terraces, boat slip, Elevator, Handicap Accessible, CAC, Generator, State-of-the-Art Systems. By Appointment only CHRISTINE LYNCH Lic, Assoc. R.E. Broker 516-398-5888 Cell christinemarielynch@yahoo.com Petrey AB Real Estate
The Children’s Clothing Gemach in Cedarhurst is fully stocked for boys/girls in sizes newborn-teen. To make an appointment please call/text 516-712-7735 Struggling with Shalom Bayis? The Shalom Bayis Hotline 732-523-1112. Caring rabbanim answering your questions for free. So far very positive results BS’D! “Kosher” Yoga & Licensed Massage Therapy Peaceful Presence Studio 436 Central Avenue, Cedarhurst Separate men/women Group/private sessions, Martial Arts... Gift Cards Available www.peacefulpresence.com 516-371-3715 HAIR COURSE Learn how to wash & style hair & wigs Hair and wig cutting, wedding styling Private lessons or in a group Call Chaya 718-715-9009 The New revitalized Gan Katan is back and better than ever. Two year old program with extended hours available. Fully licensed, well trained staff, and a warm and loving environment. For more information text Timema Diamond at 5167322949. AFFORDABLE WIRELESS PLANS Set up is easy. Get online in minutes. STARTING AT ONLY $9.95 PER MONTH! WWW.NETZERO.NET NEW AND EXCITING UNIVERSAL PRE-K under the loving heimish guidance of Morah Fran from Gan Ami. Now taking applications for September 2016. Reasonably priced, great central location, and extended hours available. For more information contact Fran Diamond directly at 5164266925
HOUSES FOR SALE
CEDARHURST: NEW LISTING!!! 5BR, 2.5BA Split In Cedar Bay Park, Lg Den W/Fplc, Granite Countertops In Kitchen, Double Oven, Formal DR, HW Floors, SD#15…$649K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com NORTH WOODMERE: Custom Renovated 4+ Bedrooms, 3 Full Bath Exp-Ranch, LR, FDR, Gourmet Kitchen, King Size Den, IGPool, Fin Basement W/Playroom & Much More!!!…$985K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE: PRICE REDUCED Completely Renovated 3BR, 2BA Ranch, Updated Eik, Formal DR, MBR Suite, Den W/Fplc & Vaulted Ceiling, Lovely Property, SD#14…$599K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com CEDARHURST: Stunning, Custom, 8 year old, 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom Brick home, with finished basement. Near all Shuls. Low Taxes. $1.2m 477 Cedarhurst Ave Cedarhurst. Looked for pictures on Zillow.com Call: 917-636-9993
HOUSES FOR SALE Don’t Get Stuck With a Two Story House Ya Know, It’s One Story Before You Buy It But a Second Story After You Own It! Call Dov Herman For An Accurate Unbiased Home Inspection Infrared - Termite Inspection Full Report All Included NYC 718-INSPECT Long Island 516-INSPECT www.nyinspect.com WOODMERE: PRICE REDUCED Beautiful 3BR, 3 Full Bath Split, Eik, LR, Master Suite W/Huge Walk-In Closet, Den, Library, Full Privacy Front & Back Yard, SD#15…$745K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com WOODMERE: NEW LISTING Completely Newly Renovated HiRanch On Quiet Corner, 4BR, 3BA, New Kitchen, Formal DR, New CAC, New Windows, SD#14…$749K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
HOUSES FOR SALE WOODMERE: PRICE REDUCED Move Right Into This Newly Built Colonial, 4BR, 4BA, Gourmet EIK, Formal DR, Master BR Suite, Full Fin Bsmt, SD#14…$949K Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
COMMERCIAL RE INWOOD THE BAYVIEW BUILDING Many options available including 5000 Square foot high ceiling 1st floor showroom/ office / mixed use space. 2nd Floor office spaces with Waterview and views of NYC skyline. 1200 sq ft, 2000 sq ft and 6000 sq ft spaces available. Parking, Mincha minyan and great neighbors. Owner will customize and design space to your needs. Call or text 516-567-0100 BALDWIN: 9,140 +/- SF + Bsmt, 4 Retail Store Strip W/Large Municipal in Rear, Lot Size 14,600SF. For Sale…Call Lori for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
BROOKLYN HOUSE FOR SALE MADISON (BTWN AVE R & S): UNIQUE DETACHED BRICK 2 FAM HOME ON PRIME TREE LINED BLOCK. This Property is 2 Separate Houses on 50 X 100 Lot. 1st House is 3 Bdrm / 1.5 Bath Duplex w/ FLR, FDR, Kosher EIK Plus 2 Bdrm Hospitality Suite w/ New Bath & Kosher Granite Kit. 2nd Home is Ranch Style - Newly Renov, 2 Bdrms, FLR, FDR & Kosher Granite EIK. Huge Master Bdrm Suite w/ Large Sitting Area & Full Granite Bath. Beautifully Fin Bsmt w/ 3 Guest Bdrms, Playroom & 2 Full Tile Baths. Phenomenal Mother/Daughter Home or Investment. 12 Split A/C Units. Two Pvt Driveways & Garages. Must See To Believe. $1.849M. Neg.
MADISON ESTATES 718-645-1665 • 917-804-4930
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The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Sunny & Spacious 2BR, 2BA, Near All..$255K
Lg 3BR, 2BA, Formal D R , C A C. . $350K
Sprawling 5+BR, 3.5BA 4BR, 2.5BA Splanch, Ranch, 1/2 Acre..$895K Fin Basement.. $899K
Lg Split 5BR, 4BA, FDR, Bsmt, Near All..$699K
Susan Pugatch (516)
Call or Text
cbraunstein@pugatch.com
Beautiful 3BR, 3BA Split, SD#15..$745K
Newly Renovated 3BR, 2.5BA Colonial In Prime Loct, Fabulous Kitchen, Close To All, Low Taxes...$899K
Carol Braunstein
(516) 592-2206
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295-3000
www.pugatch.com
spugatch@pugatch.com
Woodmere: 29 Woodmere Blvd #3A (12-1:30)$249K Woodmere: 29 Woodmere Blvd #4H (12-1:30)$255K Woodmere: 372 Howard Ave (11:30-1)$745K
7,250 +/- SF Avail - For Lease Medical or Non Medical in Bldg 18 Car Parking — Great Location
2,000 +/- SF W/Parking High Traffic Location Signage Opportunity - For Lease
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Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 COMMERCIAL RE
COMMERCIAL RE
COMMERCIAL RE
HEWLETT: 7250 +/- SF Space in Finest Bldg in the 5Towns, 18 Parking Spots, Medical or Non-Medical Use Considered, Great Location, For Lease... Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698
WOODMERE: 3600 +/- SF Retail Space in Woodmere Shopping Center, Rear Loading, Large On-Site Parking, Close to All, For Lease… Call Ian for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
CEDARHURST THE STUDIO BUILDING Newly Renovated Office Suites and spaces Available starting at $795 a month. Included in the rent: High Speed Internet, Wifi, Conference rooms, Kitchenette, Heat & AC, Utilities Included, Water cooler, Real Estate Taxes, Waiting Area, Cleaning. Furnished and unfurnished available call or text 516-567-0100
LONG BEACH: 1,428 +/- SF Professional Suite, 5 Offices – 2 with Water, Waiting Room, Reception Area, 5 Parking Spots, For Lease… Call Lori for More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com LYNBROOK: 750 +/- SF Commercial Co-Op, Any Professional Use, Waiting Room, Exam Rooms, Lab, Reception, Consultation, Can be Fully Furnished, For Sale … Call for More Details Broker (516) 792-6698 VALLEY STREAM: Office Space in Professional Hi-Rise Bldg, Can Be Built to Suit, Various Sized Suites, $28 RSF Full Service, For Lease... Call Randy For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
WOODMERE: Follow The Leader To Woodmere, Now Is The Time To Act!!! No Metered Parking, Various Retail/Office Spaces Available, For Sale/Lease... Call For More Details (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com INWOOD OFFICE SPACE LOWEST PRICES IN TOWN! 500-7000 Square feet gorgeous office space with WATERVIEW in Inwood! Lots of options. Tons of parking. WIll divide and customize space for your needs! Call 516-567-0100 ROCKVILLE CENTRE Warehouse space from 1,000 ft. to 15,000 ft. available Ideal Space - Will divide Loading dock - Walk to LIRR For details please call 917-822-0499
TJH Classifieds Post your Real Estate, Help Wanted, Services, Miscellaneous Ads here.
Weekly Classifed Ads Up to 5 lines and/or 25 words 1 week ................ $20 $10 2 weeks .............. $35 $17.50 4 weeks .............. $60 $30 Email ads to: classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com Include valid credit card info
Deadline Monday 5:00pm
INWOOD Commercial mixed use building + Lot. Private parking, corner property, high traffic area 1st floor offices, 2nd floor: 2 Apts. Asking 849k. Call 212-470-3856 Yochi @WinZone Re
CO-OP FOR SALE WOODMERE. LARGE, LOVELY 2BR, 1BA, CO-OP. Huge living room, 2 huge bedrooms, dining room, kitchen, foyer, 13 big windows, 5 large closets (with a beautiful cedar closet), huge rooms. Sunny and Spacious. Lovely chandeliers, beautiful ceiling fans with lights. Gorgeous radiator covers. Lovely flooring. Gorgeous hardwood floors underneath carpets. Very recently painted. Gorgeous unit. Amenities include laundry room with washers and dryers in updated and fabulous condition. Fantastic storage room for storage. Lovely lobby. Immaculate and beautiful pre-war building. Great neighborhood. Fantastic school district. Near all shopping and returants. Located convenient to
CO-OP FOR SALE
many temples and houses of worship.
LARGE ONE BEDROOM APT.
Fabulous restaurant on premises. Pets
IN LAWRENCE
allowed. Steps from LIRR. Extremely
Close to train, underground parking,
reasonably priced at … $170K.
spacious living room/dining area.
Please call my real estate agents
Motivated seller $118,000.
Robin, 516-946-6883, and Evelyn,
Call 917-299-8082
516-984-1290, for showing.
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The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Classifieds classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003 APT FOR RENT
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HEWLETT
CEDARHURST Beautiful house for rent! New kosher kitchen, granite counter tops, redone floors, recently painted, 3 plus bedrooms, 1 1/2 bath. Bright finish basement. Backyard Washer/ drier hook up. Asking $2,500 Call (516) 732-0111
JOB OPPORTUNITY: Looking for a warm, responsible female who likes working with children to be a playgroup assistant for the upcoming school year. Please email resumes or info to PAFR2016@gmail.com
DR. SHIMON WARONKER IS LOOKING FOR JEWISH LEADERS Jewish day school in Long Island is seeking a full-time K-8 Judaic/Hebrew teacher. Salary range is $50,000 - $80,000 commensurate with experience. Please contact cteldon@thejewishacademy.com with an attached resume
Sunny & Spacious 2BR, 1BA Co-op, LR/DR, 1 Parking Spot Incl & Storage, Close To All...$115K Call Carol Braunstein (516) 295-3000 www.pugatch.com
APT FOR RENT CEDARHURST 500-3,500 +/- SF Beautiful, newly renovated space for rent. Ideal for Retail or Executive offices. Prime location. Convenient Parking. Call Sam @ 516-612-2433 or 718-747-8080 PROPOFF; 2 bedroom option for a 3RD
HELP WANTED ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT/ OFFICE MANAGER Yeshiva near Brooklyn/5 Towns to run All aspects of the School/Business Office: Registration, Dinner, Financial Records, Academic Records, Banking. Must be computer savvy, Detail oriented and ability to multi task Send Resume to officepositionhire@gmail.com
bedroom newly renovated basement apartment with high ceilings, airy and light. Brand new kitchen and appliances. All rooms have split air conditioner. Full bathroom with options for ¾ bathroom and large pantry/storage closet. Rent includes gas and electricity air conditioner and heat. Please call Ricki 347-248-9160
SEEKING BUSINESS PARTNER FOR WELLNESS/FITNESS CENTER 50% working and equity partner, to open in Long Island or New York. Experience in Physical Therapy, Chiropractics ,massage, acupuncture, orthopedics, yoga, with fitness background. My expertise is in Rehabilitation(therapy) and fully certified in Pilates(all apparatus). Please e-mail to otlaw@juno.com
SECRETARY, F/T Busy magazine publishing office in the Five Towns is seeking an Assistant/ Secretary. Reliable, organized, initiative taker and have excellent interpersonal & phone skills. Knowledge of Word, Excel, QB, Social Media & writing skills a plus. Should be able to work under pressure. Recent grads welcome. Pls email resume to officejob1000@gmail.com Experienced Real Estate Sales agent needed for a HIGH Producing real estate office who is seeking an opportunity to Earn & Learn more!!! Call Today (516) 295-3000 x 128. All calls kept confidential. PATHWAY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED PM SPECIAL ED TEACHER CALL 718-887-6030
PARAGON HEALTHCARE GROUP is looking for a motivated, detailoriented individual to fill a PAYROLL COORDINATOR role. Full time 9-5 position. Payroll experience not required. Competitive salary and benefit package included. Email resumes to jobs@paragonhcg.com PATHWAY ELEMENTRY SCHOOL LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCED SPEECH THERAPIST CALL 718-887-6030 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ ASSISTANTS afternoon sessions. Sept 2016. Email 5townseducators@gmail.com
GREAT OPPORTUNITY! Catapult Learning is Now Hiring Title I Teachers Boro Park, Williamsburg, and Flatbush Schools n n n n n n
College/Yeshiva Degree Teaching Experience Required Strong desire to help children learn Excellent organizational skills Small Group instruction Competitive salary Fax: (212) 480-3691 Email: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com https://careers-catapult.icims.com/ jobs/3817/teacher/job?mode=view
CL16049
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Classifieds
classifieds@fivetownsjewishhome.com / text 443-929-4003
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
HELP WANTED
Growing company in the 5 Towns is seeking motivated, confident, outgoing employee for full time bookkeeping/accounting. Must have professional bookkeeping experience, and strong teamwork skills Please submit qualified resume to admin@getpeyd.com
5TOWNS BOYS YESHIVA SEEKING ELEM TEACHERS. Exc working env’t, supportive admin, exc pay Lic’d & experienced preferred. Email resume to yeshivalooking@gmail.com
Are you tired of your present job or out of work and looking for a job where you can make good money and be your own boss?
HALB LOWER SCHOOL SEEKS
PART TIME AND FULL TIME BOOKKEEPING POSITION Fast growing accounting and consulting firm seeks a qualified individual to assist our accounting staff in providing bookkeeping services for our clients. Qualified individuals will have the opportunity to join our employee friendly culture At least 2 years working experience Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, QuickBooks a MUST Email – info@smallbizoutsource.com YESHIVA SECRETARY Yeshiva near Brooklyn/5 Towns Seeking help during Dinner Campaign. Detail oriented and ability to multi task Yeshiva experience a plus Morning Hours, Immediately after Pesach Send Resume to officepositionhire@ gmail.com
PHYSICAL THERAPIST ASSISTANTS (PTA’S) & OCCUPATIONAL THERAPISTS ASSISTANTS (COTA’S) For 200+ bed Nursing Home in Queens. Must have Hospital or Nursing Home experience. Please email resume to promrehab@aol.com Local F.T. Accounting Office Seeks P/T JR. ACCOUNTANT proficient in Q.B. knowledge of payroll tax, sales tax, business tax and individual taxes Qualified applicants should please e-mail resume to: 5towntaxoffice@gmail.com CLERICAL POSITION F/T for Queens office Proper candidate will have: good computer skills, ability to multi-task and office experience. Prior early intervention experience a plus. Will Train. Competitive comp. pkg. Fax Resume 718-261-3702 Att. Bella Or email: cara.challenge2@thejnet.com
GREAT OPPORTUNITY Looking for class B CDL DRIVER with clutch for a heimishe lumber co. Great pay, Call: 718-369-3141 Ext. 348 General Studies teachers for Sept. ‘16 due to expansion. 5 Towns area boys’ school. Middle school teachers: M.-Th, 2-4:30 pm. JH male teachers: M.-Th., 2:45-5 pm. candidateteacher@gmail.com. WE ARE LOOKING TO HIRE A MARKETING/SALES SPECIALIST. Job will require your own car and being computer/internet savy. If you consider yourself a marketing professional, this is the position for you. Opportunity to make unlimited income potential, Don’t delay. Give us a call at 917-612-2300
STAFF MEMBERS FOR 2016-17: Limudei Kodesh Morah with Ivrit skills, Assistant Teachers Limudei Kodesh and Secular Studies (FT/PT), Assistant Rebbe (FT). Resumes: djacobi@halb.org. We are looking to hire a MARKETING/SALES SPECIALIST Job requirements: Your own car and internet savvy. Hob has unlimited income potential. Don’t delay, give us a call at 917-612-2300
MISC Discounted tickets to SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE THEME PARK AND SAFARI Valid for any operating day for only $40 Call or text Yehoshua 917- 923-0011 SPACE AVAILABLE FOR 3 YEAR OLD
DRS HS FOR BOYS, WOODMERE NY SEEKS CHEMISTRY TEACHER (FT) FOR 2016-17. Resumes: gkirshenbaum@drshalb.org. CATAPULT LEARNING Teachers for Title I in Boro Park andWilliamsburg Chassidic boys schools *College/Yeshiva Degree Required *Strong desire to help children learn *Excellent organizational skills *Small group instruction *Competitive salary Email resume: nyteachers@catapultlearning.com. Fax (718) 381-3493
PLAYGROUP IN FAR ROCKAWAY. EXCELLENT MORAHS. PLEASE CALL (516) 406-2980
SHIDDUCH DATING? NEED PLACES TO GO? Check out Pegishaplace.com Tutors desperately needed for Zichron Etel, a gemach providing free tutoring to those who cannot afford it. Now in Brooklyn and the Five Towns! Kindly visit our website at www.zichronetel.com
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
From My Private Art Collection
The Art of Reuven Rubin 1893-1974 By Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg
R
euven Rubin’s true name was Reuven Zelicovici. He came from a large family of thirteen children and was the son of Joel and Feiga Zelicovici. They were a very poor Chassidic family, with roots in Romania. In 1912-1913, Reuven attended the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Palestine (Israel), followed by the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, and then the Academie Colarossi, Paris. When World War I broke out, he returned to Romania. Years later he moved back to Palestine and served as the Israeli Ambassador to Romania. In 1921 he traveled to the United States, where his work was exhibited at the Anderson Gallery. He returned to Europe in 1923. In 1928
he met his wife, Esther, on a boat he boarded that was headed to Palestine. Rubin’s style of painting was referred to as “the new Eretz-Yisrael style,” which included painted pictures depicting scenes from the Torah descriptions of landscapes and the people of the land, such as Hasidic and Israeli Jews, Yemenites, and Arabs. His paintings expressed light and a shining sun that was mostly present in these pictures. Rubin created numerous paintings of the Galilee and Yerushalayim. His recognized artist’s signature was his name Reuven written in Hebrew and his last name that was spelled with Roman letters. Reuven was famous for having an exhibition of his work at Migdal David.
Reuven Rubin was the Chairman of The Association of Painters and Sculptors. In 1969 he wrote a biography, My Life – My Art. There is a museum in his memory called The Rubin Museum that opened in 1983. It is operated by members of his family. Rubin’s artwork is quite popular and desirable. Some of his famous paintings include oil paintings that he created of Tel-Aviv and of the Galilean Hills. Moses and the Burning Bush, The Port of Old Jaffa, Simchat Torah” and the The Story of David are amongst the very famous artworks painted by him. They are made from earthy tones, colorful tones, and simple techniques with much radiance exuding from them. The artworks have dreamlike and
creative qualities which are admired by the majority. At times they appear to be similar to the style of Marc Chagall. Reuven Rubin won many art awards during his lifetime. In 1973 he received the Israeli Prize for painting. There is a great demand for his artworks which is causing the costs of purchasing them to be on the rise rather quickly.
Rebbetzin Naomi N. Herzberg is a professional art educator, artist and designer. Among her known artwork is a floral sculpture presented to Tipper Gore, Blair House, Washington, D.C. Please feel free to email nherzberg@hotmail. com with questions and suggestions for future columns.
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
Your
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Money
Harry Potter and the Deathly Tax Bill By Allan Rolnick, CPA
H
arry Potter’s sidekick Ron Weasley has challenged opponents from a mountain troll to the Horcruxes to the Death Eaters. Now the actor who plays him, 27-year-old Rupert Grint, is taking on a foe as powerful as Voldemort himself. Last month, he challenged a squad of dementors taking on the deceptively ordinary appearance of bureaucrats at Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, Great Britain’s equivalent of our IRS. Grint has conjured up a fortune since being plucked from his local theatre group to play Harry Potter’s friend. He’s rumored to have collected about £24 million for his work in the series. (That’s about $32.4 million, give or take, depending on how panicky currency traders are feeling about last month’s Brexit vote.) In Harry Potter’s world, the Ministry of Magic imposes a Hexing Tax of up to 3,000 galleons on the privilege of wizarding. (Junior Wizard Savings Accounts at Gringott’s Bank are thankfully free from this tax!) But in our Muggle world, Her Majesty’s Revenue and Custom wants considerably more, taxing non-wizardry
income at rates up to 40%. Grint’s accountant, Dan Clay, doesn’t have a magic wand. But he does appear to have taken a class
tors found documents during an unrelated audit suggesting Grint had intended to choose a different split, and imposed the higher tax.
Grint’s accountant, Dan Clay, doesn’t have a magic wand. But he does appear to have taken a class or two in Defense Against the Dark Arts. or two in Defense Against the Dark Arts. On April 6, 2010, the top tax rate on incomes over £150,000 leapt from 40% to 50%. Because the higher rate took effect in the middle of the year, the law required high-income taxpayers to split the 20-month period leading up to the transition into two separate tax periods, of eight months and 12 months. Clay chose a split that let his client report his income from the sixth and seventh films into the period before rates went up so that he could pay the lowest possible bill. But tax inspec-
Grint has paid the new tax in full and his barrister is quick to point that out. “There is no tax avoidance involved here.” But after paying the tax, Grint filed suit to request a refund in the neighborhood of £1 million. (Pricey neighborhood!) Thus he found himself at a Tax Tribunal sitting at the high court in London, where he told Judge Barbara Mosely that his knowledge of taxes was “quite limited” and he had trusted the details to his father and his accountant. If we had Hermione Grainger’s Time Turner, we’d tell you
whether he wins. But we don’t, so we’ll just have to wait for the judge’s decision. Sometimes tax planning involves big-picture concepts and strategies like tax-efficient entity structures for business owners. (If we were to advise the barman at the Leaky Cauldron Inn that opens into Diagon Alley, we might suggest the British equivalent of an S corporation.) Sometimes it involves arcane technical details like accounting periods. And sometimes you have to resort to potions and spells. (We’ve got those, too. We just can’t give them to you because you’re a Muggle. Sorry.) Has the Sorting Hat placed you in a top tax bracket? Here’s the good news: You don’t have to take on the Ministry of Magic to pay less. You just need a plan. So pick up the phone and call us — or have your owl bring us a letter — and let’s see what we can do for you! Allan J Rolnick is a CPA who has been in practice for over 30 yea rs in Queens, NY. He welcomes your comments and can be reached at 718-896-8715 or at allanjrcpa@aol.com.
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JULY 14, 2016 | The Jewish Home
Life C ach
What’s with Vacation Homes? By Rivki D. Rosenwald Esq., CLC, SDS
V
acation homes! Did that just have a visceral effect on you? If so, then you are probably the proud owner of one – and know exactly what I’m talking about. To make it perfectly clear, I’m going to simply say, oxymoron. This is defined as when two contradictory terms appear in conjunction with one another. Let me elaborate. This term summons up, simultaneously, contradictory emotions. “Vacation” kind of means you have no responsibilities to take care of. “Home” means anything that goes wrong, you are in charge! Think of opening a vacation home after not being there for a while. Guess who usually HAS been there?! You guessed it! Rocky Raccoon, Mickey Mouse and friends.... spiders and ants, and other creatures that have taken over the premises. You are intruding, and in fact ruining, their party. Even though you are extremely nauseated, they think you are being obnoxious and inconsiderate. After all, they spend much more time there than you do. Yet, you ignore their squatter’s rights. If you are the one with the sorry job of showing up first to open up the house, welcome to misery! You have
the honor of scaring off those scurrying characters and cleaning up their droppings – and no, they are not paper trained. Any surface goes! Then comes the appliances check. Does the refrigerator, oven, dishwasher, etc. still work and if so, not leak? Oh wait, the water needs to be turned on first.
these homeowners go back there, time after time, or year after year? Well, because they need a vacation, of course. Everyone needs a vacation, especially the person who opened up the house! Furthermore, something appeals to them about the house itself, or the region it’s in. Maybe it facilitates
The dishwasher was left with dirty dishes in it and had not been turned on since last summer. Moldy to the tenth power!
“Boy it’s hot in here. Does the A/C work?” You flip the switch with trepidation. No, the A/C does not work! The water is discolored. The water’s not getting hot. The fridge is leaking. The closet is off its hinges. The door is warping. Need I continue? The barbecue was not cleaned. The dishwasher was left with dirty dishes in it and had not been turned on since last summer. Moldy to the tenth power! Gross has been taken to new heights. So here’s the question: why do
their proximity to an area of hiking, biking, skiing, or quality time hanging out with family or friends. Usually, once the initial traumas of opening it up are taken care of, things get a little better. But that really all depends on two things: 1) Access to a handyman! 2) The ratio of time one will be spending at the house, versus the amount of time and level of strain it takes to get the house up and running. The concept in theory of owning a vacation home sounds delicious; the
reality can be more jarring. The traffic or traveling to get there and back may also be an added challenge. And filling it up with staples and general sustenance items – then cleaning them out – all add to the equation. Nevertheless, somehow when things get settled down there is something that vacation homeowners love about the place. So, if you ever happen to be invited to spend time at someone’s vacation home, rather than just thinking “what a great place you have here,” think “Wow, what a glutton for punishment the season opener must be!” No seriously, think, “How can I add to the enjoyment side of the equation for the homeowner.” And try to be a really appreciative, helpful guest, and clean up after yourself. And if you are with them the last weekend of the season, give them a useful house gift, like a gift certificate for an exterminating company or keep it simple and just pick up a mouse trap to leave for them.
Rivki Rosenwald is a certified relationship counselor, and career and life coach. She can be contacted at 917-705-2004 or rivki@rosenwalds.com
The Jewish Home | JULY 14, 2016
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